Shards of Chaos
by Dust Traveller
Summary: Beset upon by enemies real and imagined on all sides, Gaav returns from the grave to find the world a very different place. Rated R for language, violence, and Xellos. Also brought to you by the letter P. Summary not intended for internal use
1. I Want None of This Soul Toast

  
  
Please note that this is a work of fanfiction and any relationship to any persons alive or dead (or fictional) is entirely intentional. It is also repeatedly apologized for. It takes place after the events of Slayer's Try, though minor differences from the actual storyline may pop up. I apologize in advance to any sticklers for canon out there.  
  
"Resistance of one man, hatred with no end. My madness, My sadness. I am, my own savior." -Iced Earth, My Own Savior  
  
  
  
He was born in pain and flame, not knowing who or what he was. A near mindless lump of agony, surrounded on all sides by the fires of damnation, and the smell of brimstone. Wails of torment, and the stench of burning souls assaulted his senses.  
  
A part of him, deep within his battlescarred psyche and uneffected by all of this, casually noted that the toasting souls of the damned smelled alot like overcooked pork. This secret, hardened part of him brooded and smoldered hotter then the fires he twisted in, filled with a sense of demonic rage. He was full of black ire, languishing in a prison of wormwood and gall, forged of his own failure.  
  
In other words, he sulked.  
  
He was not happy with how the events which lead to his downfall played out. Of course, it goes without saying that he was also down right furious with himself over the whole downfall thing in general.  
  
He had been pushed to the limits of his patience by that foolish little girl... what was her name? Lina Inverse.... yes... now he remembered. He did not often bother to remember the names of humans... they were fragile and pitiful, a life gone in the blink of an eye, like tadpoles going blissfully about their froggy concerns, completely unaware of the crocodile lurking... lurking and watching. He did, however, make a habit of remembering his enemies. Being the Mazoku traitor that he was, he had many enemies, but he had only one that truely caused him concern... only concern of course, not fear... never fear. That was an emotion for lesser beings. Fear implied running about waving one's hands and generally making an ass of one's self. Concern had bred caution, and caution had become a plan, but that plan had been foiled by that graceless, frightened, under developed scrap of a girl. He had been humiliated, beaten, nearly destroyed by that terrible spell, sent crashing into the hard earth like a star torn from the heavens. Furious, he had risen up and prepared to smash that insignificant little girl into so much under developed paste... and his worst enemy, his one time brother, if one such as him could be considered to HAVE a brother, had tricked him, humiliated him further, and obliterated him with a single, simple, mocking snap of his fingers.  
  
In the end, it had been his human soul that saved him. An ironic, if somewhat pointless fact. He was in no position to be grateful, he was trapped in his brother, Phibrizo's domain, the sadistic little play room the Hellmaster maintained for his own twisted, childish amusement. It was even possible the little shit had intend him to end up here. Destroyed by the Hellmaster's attack, his astral body had been rent asunder and scattered to the four winds. This would have been enough to destroy any Mazoku... but he'd also had a physical body, not just an imitation of one, and a human soul, something far more hardy then the dark energy that comprised his astral body. The attack had incinerated his fragile physical body, but his soul, and a small... pitifully small bit of his astral body had been consigned here, to be tormented eternally by his murderer.  
  
Not, he had to admit, that he didn't deserve such a fate. Being at least partially human, and thus possessing of a soul, he'd been different from the other Mazoku. Part of him had been appalled at his actions repeated over and over again down the long twisted road of his life. It was this very human sense of pity that had caused him to create his minion Valgaav. Other then that, however, he'd done very little to merit any treatment other than that which he had received.  
  
He didn't have to like it though... and there was no part of him, human or mazoku, that would ever give up and accept this fate willingly.  
  
While the human side of him writhed in torment, the mazoku part of him strained at the tiny bits of energy that surrounded him in the form of his fellow prisoners. While their pain was great and unceasing, it was unfortunately for the most part mindless, any intelligence having long since been burned away under the constant rape that was this unholy place. It made for a very lowgrade sort of suffering, barely enough to sustain his weakened consciousness. Gradually, he extended his influence around him, on that tiny trickle of sustenance, until he became aware of Others....  
  
Monsters. Demons. Mazoku. They stank of his brother. They moved through the fires of Phibrizo's domain like flies from one carcass to another, sucking in the base torment, glutting themselves on it. For a time he watched them, puzzled by their inattentiveness. Surely they were to gaurd against escape? They were as a whole stupid, small beasts barely worthy the name Mazoku. Apparently his brother did not trust anyone, not even those born of himself, and he had never created a minion that had even come near his own power. Where was his brother anyway? He was obviously not here, considering how lax his minions had become, allowing a former Dark Lord to "awaken" so to speak... ah well. Best not to look a gift horse in the mouth. His brother would one day rue his inattentiveness but until that day, he must move quickly. He lie in wait, watching those small monsters move through the inferno. Finally, one moved a bit too close to him and in a flash his huge, strong arms were around it, embracing it tightly. It froze, in shock. That a prisoner had moved, much less dared to attack one of his gaolers was unthinkable. It was this very moment of hesitation that allowed him to begin to absorb it. Too late, it thrashed about and tore deep rents in his human soul, but the dark Mazoku part of him pulled its astral body within and crushed its pathetically stupid consciousness in a battle of wills that lasted less then a blink of an eye. No lesser Mazoku had a will to survive like the Demon Dragon King. A thrill of his old pride returned to him, and he quickly supressed it. Best not to call down Phibrizo's attention. He must move carefully as well...  
  
So they fell, one by one. The battles were as a rule short, boring even. Not one of these beasts had the spirit of that thrice-bedamned little girl, let alone one such as him. In time his thoughts turned to his escape. He could not regain his rightful place as the Chaos Dragon in a place like this. Even were he to consume every 3rd rate Mazoku here, his power would not begin to equal the strength of the one who had built this place. The problem however, was that were he to force his way through the barriers of this place, forged deep within the astral plane, he would undoubtedly get his brother's attention, and that would mean death. Real death this time; Phibrizo did not make the same mistake twice. He had to find some way to hide himself, to prevent his brother from finding him. It angered him deeply that he should have to hide from his whelp of a brother, but his time here had taught him one very important lesson. Pride was for the strong; it had no place in the weak, and as much as he was loath to admit it, he was undoubtably weaker then his brother in his current state. So, a way of hiding his nature he would have to find... but how?  
  
Then his thoughts turned to the pain-wracked form of his human soul. A glimmer of a plan came upon him. It was dangerous, for he would be nearly incapable of defending himself from a real enemy, but he would be hidden... and the possible reward. He smiled, a familiar bearing of teeth not so much an expression of happiness as a promise of terrible things to come...  
  
For he would BE Gaav, the Demon Dragon King again, and he DID love war the most.  
  
With a thought he clothed himself in familiar utilitarian clothing, long overcoat, tunic, slacks and sturdy boots, and formed of his very substance his familiar blade, the heavy and terrible weapon feeling right in his hands. Then, with a roar of terrible anger and defiance, he threw himself at the very fabric of his prison. The air (if it could be said to have air) of hell filled with a new sound; that terrible bellow, and the walls of hell shook and tore. Filled with pain and a sense of weakness, Gaav finally pushed his way into the world, allowed himself a moment of exhileration at the end of pain, and his return....  
  
Then locked himself deep inside his human soul, surrounding himself with his until now loathed humanity like a security blanket, with only the barest crack in the armor of his psyche for awareness. He put himself to sleep within himself, and forgot everything until the day he would be powerful enough to reclaim his rightful place.  
  
If he had only stopped to search, if he had only paid attention... he might have noticed that the presence of his brother simply no longer existed. He might have saved himself a large portion of time and effort. These little ironies abound in life however, and this wouldn't be a very good story if he had done so now would it?  
  
A very confused, very LARGE man in a yellow overcoat carrying a huge sword blinked at the world around him. He could not for the life of him remember what it was he was supposed to be doing. A thin, dreary sort of drizzle drifted on the breeze past him, making numerous small diamond like sparkles in his long, bushy red mane. He looked down. The ground was smoking at his feet, and he backed up, alarmed. Two large footprints made of charred earth smoked gently on the rocky ground. He blinked and glanced once again at the world around him. He stood at the base of a large mountain around which a small dirt road wound. Behind him a dark forest loomed over the dusty road he stood upon. He frowned. He had a sense that he should be doing something, but he could not remember what it was. What ever it was though, he had a sense that it was terribly important to him. What was it? As he stood silently and tried desperately to remember something... anything, he gradually became aware of something pricking the edge of his conciousness. Two voices finally forced themselves on his pondering. He realized they were discussing him.  
  
"... I got no idea Mel... cor.. look et the size of 'em...."  
  
"... Heah.. you'd think someone his size in that ridiculous coat of his would be pretty hard to miss but here he is, larger then life."  
  
"Think he's got any money?"  
  
"I don't know Larson, but I'd say judging by that huge sword and those clothes he's got to have somethin'. Hell, its better then standin' around here gettin' wetter by the minute with nothin' to show for it. 'Sides, boss will have our hides if we come back empty handed."  
  
"I don't know Mel... I mean, he's awful big..."  
  
"Larson, there are two of us, and he hasn't done a whole lot but stand there lookin' dumb for the past ten minutes. What could it hurt anyway?"  
  
"Well... bugger me for a lark. I say we do it then."  
  
"Alright! That's the spirit. On the count of three... one... two..."  
  
Looking up from his newly made, formfitting hole in the mountain side, Mel uttered an extremely painfilled... "Three...."   
  
The damnable thing of it is the man didn't seem to be paying much attention. He'd just stood there with that quizzical expression on his face while the two of them had charged him pell mell. He dimly remembered that he was supposed to ask the man for his money or his life, but being a recent addition to the Black Hills Bandit Gang, he was still rather new at this. It also didn't help that he wasn't the brightest man in the world, but this was hardly a negative factor in his new profession, in fact considering the huge number of heroes in the area it was almost a requirement. That still hadn't explained the royal ass whoop he'd received as payment for his actions. The huge man had moved with inhuman speed, and just as Larson had gone sailing with a stunned expression on his face towards the woods on the opposite side of the road, Mel had found himself becoming aquainted with the mountain side in a far more personal manner then he'd wanted on their first date.  
  
The huge man in the yellow overcoat glared down at him. He hadn't even swung his sword.  
  
When he spoke his voice was a feral growl that almost made Mel do something very unpleasant in his trousers.   
  
"What in the hell was that for?"  
Mel blinked and tried to sit up, thought better of it simply and looked up with a "please don't kill me" expression.  
  
Then found himself promptly being lifted up out of his impromptu grave with less effort then a man picking up his dirty laundry. He dangled by his (dented) breastplate in the man grasp.  
  
"Well! Answer me!"  
  
He blinked. "Uh... what the hell was what for?"  
  
He was lightly shaken for his answer. "Why did you attack me?!"  
  
"Uh... I'm a bandit... thats what bandits do..." he squeaked, beginning to wish he'd listen to his mother and become a baker instead.  
  
The man frowned like he was trying to remember something. Then he gritted his teeth and if it was possible, looked even more angry. Mel took a chance.  
  
"Excuse me sir... but I'm beginning to see that attacking you was a grave error on my part and will willingly part with my purse if you'll let me go..."  
  
He frowned. "Why would I want that?"  
  
Mel looked at him. "You're kidding right? They don't need money where you come from?! Who the hell are you?"  
  
The man frowned. "I don't know..." he dropped Mel. "I can't seem to remember... anything. Money... bandits... where I come from, even my name, its all familiar and yet I can't..." he squeezed his fist in frustration and a red light emanated from his eyes for a split second. Mel shook his head and stood up, brushing the rock dust from his bruised and aching back.  
  
"Sounds like you got a bit of the... uh.. am... amn... ammnonia. Yeah. Thats it. I heard it happens when you hit yer head really hard. Don't worry to much it should all come back to you eventually." he patted the man's arm sympathetically, more or less hoping that he wouldn't be killed.  
  
"Look... yer a big bloke, and you don't have much in the way of job skills not rememberin' anything and all, but the Black Hill Bandits 'er always looking for big lads and you can sure fight. Why don't you come with me, and I'll put in a good word for ya with the boss."  
  
The man looked at him with those inscrutable eyes and frowned. "So what is it that bandits do exactly?"  
  
"Well... the boss has got this big theory about robbin' from the rich and given to ourselves with e--konimics and stuff, but basically as I see it, we beat people up 'n take their stuff." he scratched his head.  
  
"Beat people up hmm?" the man scratched his chin thoughtfully.  
  
When he smiled, Mel was reminded of a cat right before it pounced on a cornered mouse....  
  
****  
  
"Dada!"  
  
The little voice distracted Xellos from his reverie and he looked up from his teacup which was rapidly becoming cold.  
  
"No Valgaav... that disgusting piece of Mazoku filth is not your daddy!" it was amazing to Xellos how sickeningly cheerful Filia could sound considering the words coming out of her mouth. He grinned mischievously and patted the small boys head, mindful of the small horn there.  
  
"Oh come Filia, there's no harm in it! After all a child shouldn't grow up without a father figure... its not healthy."  
  
Filia scowled and snatched the boy from the table, glaring at her tormentor in disdain. She really hated "uncle" Xellos' little visits, but there was really very little she could do to prevent him from popping in that wouldn't result in large amounts of property damage.  
  
But if he kept this up... she clenched her fist and closed her eyes as a vein popped out of her forehead.  
  
Xellos smiled and took a sip of his tea. He didn't really need the tea, just like he didn't need the small cookies on the plate before him but he had to admit, they were good. He looked upon them as a sort of appetizer for the low grade irritation he got out of Filia for the necessity of having to serve her unwanted house guest for the sake of propriety. He always enjoyed getting a rise out of Filia, the dragon girl was a veritable fountain of yummy emotions. Truthfully, that was part of the reason why he kept coming out to this hut in the middle of nowhere, well that and the fact that his master, Xellas wanted him to keep an eye on the little minion of dear, departed Gaav... but Xellos, Mysterious Priest and General to Beastmaster Xellas always had more then one reason for doing the things he did and keeping the secrets he kept.  
  
Some he kept even from himself...  
  
Still, as much as it would be amusing if the young Valgaav thought of him as being a father (there was sooo much he could TEACH the dear boy!) the boy's attention had not been on him. It had been fixed far away towards a disturbing ripple in the astral plane and a familiar presence Xellos had not felt since...  
  
No matter, being the inquisitive master of the enigmatic that he was, Xellos always trusted his gut,(metaphorically speaking of course since Xellos was pretty sure he didn't have a gut) and he'd soon have the heart of this matter ferreted out and any advantage he could possibly gain for himself or his master (in exactly that order) wrung from it. He smiled again and stood.  
  
"Thank you for a lovely evening Filia, as always you are a charming host." he said, sounding extremely sincere as he picked up his staff. He turned so she would not see his face... wait for it...  
  
Filia blinked and put down Valgaav gently, frowning. "Why... thank you Xellos..."  
  
"...It almost makes up for your... how should I put this... lack of culinary expertise." he winked at her over his shoulder and bowed deeply, as though he'd just awarded her a deep compliment, taking in the fuming anger and... just a little bit of hurt? that washed over him.  
  
"Why you filthy, steaming pile of... Mazoku...." her fangs were, he had to admit, actually rather fetching, though the mace she lofted was somewhat alarming.  
  
"Now now Filia, remember the boy." he grinned. "I'm on my way, no need to see me to the door." He popped out of existence (and out of the path of her swinging mace) and reappeared by the door, opening it smoothly. "I'm off to look up an old friend and mentor of your boy there... so don't wait up dear."  
  
She stopped advancing on him and frowned. "What do you mean old friend?"   
  
There were days when everything just seemed to go your way. Days like this, Xellos just loved being himself. "That, my dear ex-dragon priestess, is a secret."   
  
He stepped out the door, hearing Filia's angry growl behind him, then walked jauntily down the path that lead to her small cottage, whistling to himself.  
  
  



	2. The Long Dark Birthday of the Soul

  
  
  
  
"Pushing little children, with their fully automatics, they like to push the weak around." -Deer Dance, System Of A Down  
  
  
  
  
"Valgaav, how many times do I have to tell you, NO BLACK MAGIC IN THE HOUSE."  
  
Valgaav looked up at Filia-mama from the smoking remains of the couch with a look of guilty dismay. Uh oh... He pointed an accusing finger at a disheveled, slightly singed little girl with tossled red hair.  
  
"Mina started it mom! She took the piece of cake right off my plate!"   
  
Filia regarded the little girl in question. Looking at her, it was easy to imagine what Lina had looked like as a child. Cute as a button, full of energy, her eyes full of youthful curiousity and sharp intelligence.  
  
Dangerous as a burlap sack full of soaked cats when agitated. She glared daggers at Valgaav, who ignored her completely.  
  
"It's MY birthday, and MY cake." Valgaav stated crossing his arms and looking superior.  
  
Filia shook her head slowly. She had a sneaking suspicion he'd been talking to Xellos again... that purple haired fruit cake had taught him a few minor Black Magic spells when he was 7, knowing full well how often little boys get into trouble... she sighed.  
  
"Valgaav, a piece of cake is no reason to try to set someone on fire-" she was interrupted by a loud, strident voice from the kitchen.  
  
"GOURRY!! Touch my piece of cake again and the only thing you'll be eating is a fireball!" Filia blinked...  
  
"But, Lina... its the whole cake..." Gourry's confused retort followed Lina's bellow like the next note in some insane comedic tune written by a very sadistic composer.  
  
A vein pulsed in Filia's forehead. "Valgaav, put out the couch. Mina, don't touch things that aren't yours. Lina, please leave some of the cake for the children. Xellos, stop tormenting the cat. XELLOS! What are you doing here?"  
  
Xellos looked up from his apparent reenactment of the spanish inquisition on the hapless feline and smirked.   
  
"Miss young Valgaav's birthday? I may be a Mazoku Filia dear, but I am NOT a monster."  
  
"UNCLE XELLOS!" Valgaav dropped the couch and rushed at Xellos, who stood up with a pained expression and held his hands up to stop the young ancient dragon's charge.  
  
"Now Valgaav, remember what I told you about happy greetings..."   
  
Valgaav's face dropped a moment, then he grinned and socked "Uncle" Xellos in the stomach as hard as he could.  
  
Xellos grinned. "Thats better."  
  
Filia shook her head in dismay. Every year.   
  
"Xellos, I thought I made it clear that you were banned from birthdays since The Rum Cake Incident."   
  
"It was a delightful cake Filia, I don't see..."  
  
"IT WASN'T SUPPOSED TO BE A RUM CAKE!!!"  
  
***  
  
After the smoke cleared, and the children had settled down enough to be ushered outside to play, Filia sat down at the kitchen table with her friends (and Xellos) to talk about what had happened in their lives of late. With the exception of Xellos (who Filia saw with entirely too much regularity) this yearly fiasco was the only time she had to see her old friends.   
  
"Sorry about the cake Filia." Gourry, as usual, was taking the blame for Lina's appetite.  
  
"Thats OK Gourry. I'm pretty sure Valgaav is used to that by now..." Filia sipped her tea, relaxing after the stress of being the only sane person in a party of maniacs.  
  
Xellos raised an eyebrow and smiled, but a glance from Lina made him stop.  
  
"No mention will be made of The Rum Cake Incident on pain of death." she warned.   
  
"So Lina, how have you and Gourry been?" Filia inserted tactfully, trying to avoid any more arguments... and broken furniture.  
  
Lina smiled. "Oh well enough. This years batch of students are a bunch of rocks. If it wasn't for Mina, I'd be..."  
  
"...in fear for the future of magic, yes Lina, we've heard this before." Xellos pointed out.  
  
Lina glared at Xellos. "...in fear for a certain Mazoku's life if he doesn't shut up."  
  
Xellos looked up, mildly suprised. "So then... the magic is back Lina?"  
  
Lina reddened and stood up, clenching her fist. "I don't need magic to kick your-"  
  
Gourry put a hand on the small woman's shoulder, gave her a gentle look, then turned his gaze to Xellos, his eyes turning to steel as they did only when he prepared to go to battle.  
  
"Xellos, stop teasing my wife."  
  
Xellos smiled and spread his hands. "Now now, there's no need to get angry, I was simply curious."  
  
Lina sat down, looking tired. "No it's all right Gourry. No Xellos, my magic is not back." She looked up, frustrated. "Nothing seems to help. No one can figure it out. Not even me..."  
  
Gourry continued to stare hard in Xellos' direction, then patted his wife's hand. She looked grateful, and Filia sighed. A year after the battle with Dark Star, Gourry had carried a deathly pale, unconscious Lina into Filia's house with a stricken look on his normally contented face. From what she had been able to deduce from his nearly incomprehensible explanation (Gourry was not the best person to ask for a detailed description of what he'd done 5 minutes ago, let alone the day before) she had been able to gather that Lina had been in the middle of casting a Dragon Slave when she'd stopped, blinked twice, and collapsed into an unconscious heap. The bandit gang had collectively stood up from where it had taken futile cover and after a few stunned moments, charged the infamous bandit killer. Gourry had fought them off, and brought his stricken charge to Filia.  
  
No white magic spell or remedy she could think of could rouse the fallen sorceress from her coma.   
  
A week later, she'd simply come out of it on her own. After she'd sated her enormous appetite (a week asleep had left her "dangerously ravenous" as Zelgadis had once put it) she'd set about testing her limits, in spite of Gourry and Filia's reservations, and found herself unable to cast any but the simplest of spells.   
  
She had been devestated. Her whole life to date had revolved around magic. She'd solved most of her problems with it, it was as much a part of her as her arms or eyes. That it had betrayed her was unthinkable. She'd come very close to giving in to her despair completely.  
  
Only Gourry had saved her. He'd stubbornly remained with her through her depression, enduring her temper when she lashed out at him unprovoked (as opposed to the normal lashing out for his regular provocations). She'd cursed him over and over again. He'd just smiled. He'd remained maddeningly calm despite her every attempt to force him to leave, to recognize her worthlessness... but he never had.   
  
She loved him for that.  
  
Oh she'd loved him before that of course. Not that she ever would have admitted that to herself. Lina as a tough-as-nails bandit killer, she could handle. Lina as a woman in love? It scared her. Her sickness had forced her to rely on someone else, something she'd never allowed herself to do, never COULD have allowed herself to do, and he'd never betrayed her trust. Their relationship was tentative at first (Gourry had developed a Pavlovian reaction regarding Lina and romance, namely Lina+Romance=PAIN) but it had grown steadily until the day he'd finally proposed to her.  
  
Mina (a name chosen by Gourry, to which Xellos had sardonically replied, "that figures") was the result.  
  
Filia smiled at the look shared between the two, noticing that Xellos was looking a bit green.  
  
He stood up, giving Filia an ambigious look that confused her before his usual smirk returned.  
  
"I think I'll... go check to make sure the children have burned the forest down."  
  
Filia smiled and allowed him his out. Xellos was a mazoku, but for some reason only known to him he was actually very protective of the boy. As for Mina, well... Lina might not be capable of really killing the Trickster Priest, but she was more than capable of making him WISH he was dead.  
  
She turned her attention to Lina and Gourry.   
  
"So... how is the rest of the group?"  
  
Lina frowned. "Well... Zelgadis is still off on his own. I don't think that's going to change anytime soon." she sighed, rubbing Gourry's hand. "He's convinced there's no hope for him, so he just sits around and sulks. He wouldn't even see ME the last time I went up there to visit him. The idiot. Amelia is as cheerful as ever, but she's way too busy running Sailoon to go looking for him. Truth is, I think she blames herself..." she shrugged. "How have you been?"  
  
Filia smiled. "Well, its not easy raising an ancient dragon. Xellos stops by once a week to "give the boy a proper education" as he puts it, but other then that things are pretty quiet. The hardest thing about it is answering the questions he has about his former life..."  
  
Gourry blinked. "Former life?"  
  
Lina fondly punched his head. "Jellyfish brain. Remember? Dark Star? Weapons of Light?"  
  
Lina turned to Filia. "Still... what DO you tell him?"  
  
Filia took a sip of her tea before answering. "The truth. If I didn't, Xellos would use it against me. The boy already has too high an opinion of that trickster. I'm worried he'll disappoint him... Valgaav looks up to him, and Xel isn't happy unless he's hurting someone... I don't want it to be Valgaav."  
  
Lina looked slyly at her. "Xel huh? Kinda familiar aren't we?"  
  
Filia blinked, then looked flustered. "Lina don't even JOKE about that kind of thing. It was just a slip of the tongue. He's around so often I..."  
  
Lina smiled. "Just sort of got used to him hmm?"  
  
Filia snorted. "No. You never get used to Xellos. Valgaav doesn't like it when I fight with him, so I try to be civil, at least until he breaks the boy's heart. I'm not looking forward to cleaning up THAT mess."  
  
"Oh come on Filia. I don't think its all that bad. You're raising Valgaav right. If anything, it'll be a good influence on Xellos."  
  
"But he's a Mazoku! He's evil!" she exclaimed.  
  
"Yeah, but he's not a Gaav, Phibrizo kind of evil. He's more of a common cold sort of evil. He might be annoying, and might live off of human misery, but it would be really far fetched for him to actually hurt you. He can't help being what he is." her eyes twinkled. "Besides, he's our Mazoku, right?"  
  
Filia gave Lina a sour look. "Since when did YOU become a matchmaker?"  
  
Gourry frowned. "Speaking of Xellos, am I wrong, or did he say he was going to make sure the children burned the forest down?"  
  
The action at the table froze for a few seconds, then the faint smell of woodsmoke reached their searching nostrils.  
  
"XELLLLOOOOSSS!" their simultanious cry of dismay rang out over the hills as they scrambled to prevent a major disaster.  
  
***  
  
The village was burning. The screams of the dying and the injured intermingled with the chuckle of the fires that had been sporadically set among their homes. It was a macabre choir of chaos.  
  
The LARGE Man With No Name found himself strangly moved by it.   
  
The garrison had been easy enough to overcome, even with Gabro's inept leadership. Here on the frontiers of Sailoon, the resupply of weapons and armor was a trickle at best. The Black Hills Bandit Gang had grown strong, a veritable army of black hearted men (with a few grey and yellow hearted men for variety) and had swept over the village's defenses wave after wave until the village was theirs.  
  
For the moment.  
  
T.L.M.W.N.N. hefted his sword over one shoulder and strode through the wreckage, seeing nothing but his enemies dead, and their lamenting women and children. His contentment was complete until he noticed a small knot of bandits herding frightened women and children into the village center. He frowned and, when one bandit rushed past him, reached out with lightning speed and lifted the suprised man to his own eye level by his collar.  
  
"What's the rush Strom?" he asked conversationally, as Strom's mind struggled to reconcile himself with the fact that he had gone from looting to choking in less then a second.  
  
"Gatherin'... all the women.... in the center... gonna.. have some fun...." he choked out, staring into the giant's red eyes.  
  
They did not look pleased. "What do you mean... fun?"   
  
"Errk... I mean... you know... fun..." the man sputtered.  
  
"SPELL it out for me Strom." his voice going from conversational to dangerous.  
  
"Erk... boobies?" Strom was at a severe conversational disadvantage due to his lack of oxygen, but T.L.M.W.N.N. got the gist. He dropped the gasping bandit on the ground and strode towards the town center with a grim purpose in his eyes. He didn't know why, but humiliating and degrading helpless women and children didn't sit well with him. It seemed... overly cruel.  
  
He entered upon a group of laughing and jeering bandits surrounding his illustrious leader, who was currently in the process of removing a shrieking teenaged girl's clothing, his breathing labored in part by his arousal, but mostly from the exertion of moving his great bulk.  
  
The red haired giant pushed his way through the crowd roughly, stilling any arguments with a murderous glare and a snarl. Grabbing the grossly fat man by the back of his neck and lifted him bodily off of the young girl with one hand, he tossed the stunned bandit king into a group of his bandits, much to their dismay.  
  
"WHAT IS THE... I'LL... I'LL KILL!!!" the furious fat man struggled to his feet, ripped his sword out of it's sheath (while simultaneously trying to button up his pants) his pig eyes searching out until they fell upon his tormenter. The large man stood between the girl and her would be rapist with his arms crossed, his own great sword stuck in the ground in front of him.  
  
"YOU! I should have known it was you. You've been nothing but trouble since you showed up, ignoring my orders... well this ends now. Boys! KILL HIM!!"  
  
Silence save for the muted sobbing of the girl reigned in the sqaure as the bandits looked at the giant, then their leader, the giant again, then avoided their leader's eyes.  
  
"Cowards!! He's one man!!" the incredulous fat man shook his sword.  
  
"Are you going to attack Gabro, or are you going to stand there yelling until you keel over?" the giant's deep, growling voice was quiet, but carried menacingly over the fat man's din like a flag flown over a wartorn field.  
  
The fat man roared, took his sword in both hands and charged the giant like a boar startled from the brush. He moved suprisingly fast for a corpulent man, once his bulk reached terminal velocity is was nearly impossible to stop. He was a powerhouse of destruction, and this was the reason he was Gabro, the Bandit King.  
  
He'd never had a chance.  
  
Bandits who witnessed the fight (if it could be called one) would one day in their cups whisper fearfully amongst themselves that the red haired man's eyes had glowed crimson for a moment, and that the shadow of something terrible had loomed over him. Regardless of this talk, what was accepted was that the fat man had charged toward him, sword prepared to cut him from groin to gizzard giant or no, and the red haired giant hadn't even bothered to remove his sword from the ground.  
  
He'd simply avoided the fat man's terrible blow and punched the Hapless Bandit King with all of his strength. His fist connected with his foe's chin in an uppercut that threw the grossly fat man several feet into the air over his head. When his body crushed an overturned wagon no one bothered to check if he was still alive.  
  
All concerned realized it was a moot point.  
  
The new Bandit King drew his giant sword effortlessly from the blackened earth and levelled it at the bandits. They took a step back collectively.  
  
"There will be no rapine or slaughtering of women or children. Nor will any man too feeble to lift a sword come to harm. We may be bastards, but we are not without mercy. Nor without honor." his eyes shifted from one side of the group to the other.   
  
"Any questions?"  
  
A voice from the back shouted something to the effect of "what's rapine?" and was quickly silenced. The Bandit King rolled his eyes.  
  
"Any INTELLIGENT questions?"  
  
A grizzled, one-eyed bandit with a poorly kempt beard looked him in the eye.  
  
"What do we call you?"  
  
The giant thought for a moment, then bared his teeth in a grin that gave more then one of the bandits nightmares.  
  
"Call me Boss..."  
  
***  



	3. And Now For Something Completely Differe...

  
  
Author's Note: The author would like to appologize in advance for the humour in this chapter. Its rather different from previous chapters, being less funny HAHA, and more funny UH OH. We will resume our regularly scheduled humour whenever I damn well feel like it. That is all.  
  
"Head like a hole, black as your soul, I'd rather die, then give you control, bow down before the one you serve, your going to get what you deserve." -Head Like a Hole, Nine Inch Nails  
  
  
The realm of Xellas Metallium, much like all the Dark Lords' realms, was a reflection of her personality. It was a tasteful, well appointed place. Elegant, one might say. The furniture matched well with the carpeting, which was deep and inviting. The wallpaper was discrete but beautiful, enhancing the dim lighting that somehow managed not to draw away from the beauty of the place while still holding it in a sort of perennial twilight. It could have been the dream home of any of a thousand insanely rich people who wanted to draw attention to just how rich they were without it looking too tacky. This once again proved that while good has better intentions, evil has better taste.  
  
Like Xellas Metallium, it hid a heart as violent and dangerous as any of the most powerful predators.  
  
Xellos walked through the well appointed hall (after removing his shoes of course, as evil did not want dirt or worse tracked all over its carpet thank you very much) at a leisurely pace, apparently unconcerned with the murderous glares the lesser minions of the Beastmaster were giving him. When in the halls of the Beastmaster, one conducted one's self with style and grace; monsterous forms were never shown, all maintained a human appearance. One learned very quickly that to do otherwise was... imprudent. The strain and tension was almost palpable, which was just the way Xellas wanted it.   
  
She liked the anticipation and the hunt more then anything else.  
  
Xellos finally reached the large cherrywood double doors leading to the Dark Lord's inner chambers. He then seated himself nonchalantly on the black leather couch waiting for the Beastmaster's prissy (if a monster could be considered prissy) majordomo to announce his arrival. Looking about the room with an unconcerned grin on his face, Xellos was in his element. Never give anything away, hide your true intentions, motives, feelings. That was the lesson the Beastmaster had taught him. For a moment he found himself returning to the years immediately after his creation, spent in this place, which time did not touch.  
  
He hated it more then he hated anything... even the Beastmaster.  
  
Centuries ago, before the terrible War of the Monster's Fall, Xellas had created him as any Mazoku was created, pulling loose a piece of herself and giving it form and will. A young but powerful Mazoku (some Mazoku had questioned the wisdom of the Beastmaster in creating a minion of so much of herself, so close to her own power, but most of those Mazoku were wisely silent about this, and the ones who were not no longer mattered much) Xellos had been prepared to serve the Beastmaster to the best of his ability. She had created him possessing of a will, intelligence and cunning that rivalled even her own. He was a truely terrible creation, and he owned it all to his new master.   
  
It had taken her centuries to break him. Those early centuries passed like a blur in his memory, his perfect trickster's memory, which had never failed him, and they were full of the lessons in pain she had taught him. He'd spent his "formative" years as her plaything, her fully aware and conscious puppet, indulging every terrible whim the Dark Lord could imagine. He had realized, when he wasn't too caught up in whatever agony or humiliation the Beastmaster had dreamt up this week, that he had been created almost solely for the Dark Lord's facination with control. He was as powerful as he was simply because Xellas had wanted a victim challenging enough to make her enjoyment last.  
  
Domination, of one's thoughts, feelings, and the thoughts and feelings of others. Perfection. These things Xellas also loved like fine wines. Xellos learned his lessons well. To do otherwise meant risking the Beastmaster's displeasure. It went without saying that one simply did not do that. Xellos had walked a knife's edge between violence and control, a silken glove containing an iron fist. He'd learned to hide it all behind an elusive smile, even in the depths of the worst possible torment.   
  
When Xellas had tired of him, she'd set him to work, for waste not, want not was a part of her philosophy. Loosed him on an unsuspecting people, an assassin for an entire race.  
  
Xellos looked back on those days with regret. Not for the destruction of a race of course. That would have required a conscience, something Mazoku did not have. No, his disappointment stemmed from what he perceived as his failure to handle the whole situation properly. Wholesale destruction was not a tactic he liked to use. Showing the dragons arrayed against him how powerful he was felt like a failure on his part. He should have infiltrated them, used them, manipulated them into their own destruction, heaping misery after misery on them, all the while hiding behind a happy, innocent facade. His handling of the situation then had caused the problems he was having now.   
  
Of course, there HAD been a little war going on at the time, but every war had spies and sabatuers didn't it?  
  
The majordomo turned to him and sniffed. "The mistress will see you now..."  
  
Xellos stood and straightened his robes, giving himself a quick once over, knowing that he'd find everything as it should be. He'd had millenia to perfect this. The double doors opened quietly. Showtime.  
  
***  
  
"Ah, Xellos darling! Give us a kiss. It's been far too long." Beastmaster grinned at him, demurely setting her cigarette in a diamond ashtray.   
  
Xellos leaned forward and kissed her politely on the cheek, grinning back at her and bowing gracefully. "My Dread Lord and beautiful mistress. It has indeed been too long. How may this lowly servant please you?"  
  
Xellas lounged back and smiled. "Charming as ever my priest and general. Have a seat, we have much to discuss."  
  
Xellos seated himself and politely refused when Xellas offered him some tea.  
  
"Xellos, how comes the boy? I trust he is not too much like that simpering little dragon girl..."  
  
Xellos neatly sidestepped the trap in that statement. "Of course not Mistress, his education proceeds as planned. That naive little fool of a girl allows me time alone with him because of his attachment to me. It should not prove too difficult to bring him home, so to speak."  
  
Xellas picked up her cigarette and cocked her head at him. "What of the priestess herself Xellos? What plans have you for dealing with her?"  
  
Xellos shrugged. "Ex-priestess, Mistress, and hardly a matter you need concern yourself with. I feel she should be left alone... for now. Harming her would be detrimental to our cause, should the boy find out... I would not underestimate his intelligence."  
  
Xellas' eyes turned frigid for a moment, and her smile grew dangerously sweet. "Do you presume to dictate to me what I should and should not "concern" myself with, Xellos?"  
  
This too was a trap. Show any weakness, and the Beastmaster would pounce upon him like a starving wolf. Xellos sighed inwardly... so predictable.  
  
"Of course Mistress, I merely point out that she is a detail that could be ironed out at your convenience, and may yet prove useful. Still, as you wish... shall I destroy her then?"  
  
Xellas leaned back, her eyes hidden by shadow. "No... not yet. Continue your observation Xellos."  
  
He nodded. "As you wish mistress. I would bring a further detail to the conversation mistress."  
  
Xellas remained silent, smoke wreathing her head. Xellos took a gamble and continued. "I have determined the origin of the disturbing ripple from Phibrizo's domain some 7 years ago. I ask for your leave to deal with the situation myself before I continue Mistress... the information is of a delicate nature..."  
  
Her eyes narrowed. "Continue Xellos... mind what you say."  
  
"It would appear that a little... unfinished business from the Claire Bible incident has emerged. Your brother, Gaav has returned rather miraculously from the dead... though-"  
  
Xellas' eyes flashed a brilliant purple and she lashed forward, dragging Xellos to within inches of her angry visage. "GAAV HAS RETURNED? Insolent... how long have you known this worm?"  
  
Xellos smiled, opening his own eyes and staring into her furious visage unabashedly. "Some time now Mistress. Again, I ask to deal with this matter myself. Gaav is pitifully weak, and completely unknown to himself. He has apparently forgotten he was ever a Mazoku, and wallows with the worst sort of scum. He is of no consequence now, but should he return to his former self, it behooves us to have him on a leash, so to speak. If anyone could teach him to heel, mistress, it is you."  
  
She was silent for a long time, staring at him, and Xellos feared he may have over played his hand. He decided to pull his Ace in the Hole.  
  
"Remember mistress, it was I who handled the infamous Lina Inverse difficulty so elegantly. I will not fail you, in this. I swear it." his voice was a quiet whisper, his mask perfect. He rather hoped the confrontation would not take place now... not in her realm, with her soldiers all around... he did not feel the time was right. Not yet, anyway.  
  
She frowned and her grip tightened. "And how did you manage to nullify that little girl Xellos?"  
  
He smiled. The temptation was too great. He raised a finger to his lips and winked. "That, is a secret."  
  
She stared incredulously at him for a stunned second, then dropped him, put one elegantly gloved hand against her mouth, and laughed, loud and hard.  
  
"Xellos, Xellos! Only you would have the audacity... ah.. very well my Priest and General. I trust your judgement, for now. Go! Deal with my "brother" as you see fit."   
  
He straightened his robes and nodded. "As you wish mistress."  
  
She sniffed daintily and wiped a tear from her eye. "Some day my dear, you really must tell me how you stifled that wretched little human sorceress."   
  
His smile deepened as he turned and walked sedately out of the now open double doors. Stopping just inside, he turned, bowed deeply, and nodded. "As you wish mistress."  
  
Once the double doors closed with a muffled thump, he strode through the halls of Beastmaster Xellas Metallium, maintaining his trickster's mask and smiling his secret smile.   
  
"Soon enough my mistress. All too soon... for you."  
  
***  
  
  
The imposing stone fortress of the Black Hills Bandit Gang rang with the shrieking rasp of steel on stone. A teeth clenching sound, it echoed unceasingly, repeated over and over again with the same interval between each scraping sussuration. It caused no few bandits to look up blearily from their hangovers and curse. It caused no few gaurds on duty to straighten up and look officious for once. They all knew what it meant. The Bandit King who was once Gaav (though this last bit of information was obviously unknown to both him and his brood) sat on his iron throne alone in his great hall and sharpened his sword.  
  
He was bored.  
  
Staring at his reflection distorted in the deadly glimmering steel of his blade, he mulled over his current discontent silently. He was the Lord uncontested of the greatest bandit army ever to exist on the frontiers of Sailoon. He took what he wanted, when he wanted, and none dared oppose him. Not even the great army of Sailoon could move against him, content (or at least hoping) that he would remain true to his current motis operandi and raid only occasionally into the kingdom of white magic. All feared him. All whispered in his presence.   
  
Why then did he feel as though he were doing something completely and utterly... unfulfilling? He frowned and stood, wandering down the length of his great hall in sullen silence. Those bandits who passed him greeted him in respect and deference. He did not acknowledge them. He wandered all the way to the top of his fortress, where the cold winds blew off the Black hills and threw his long red mane across one shoulder. He placed his sword, which had served him well, point first on the icy stone of his fortress and leaned both hands on the hilt. He remembered the last time he'd enjoyed himself. Some foolish group of would be heroes had wandered up, no doubt after the reward that scared little girl of a monarch had put on his head, full of their own importance. He'd met them all at once in combat, and their graves littered the hills now, as did all such victims.  
  
It had been a decent sort of fight, 5 skilled warriors against himself. He'd drawn it out a little, giving them the respect they deserved for challenging one such as he, before killing each one effortlessly. The look on their faces had been priceless.  
  
That was the last group that had dared to face him. It had been 10 years ago.  
  
Strange... it didn't feel like 10 years. Being without a past, he had no way of telling how old he had been before Mel had found him on that fateful day, but he knew he should at least feel some effect. It was as though time passed for everyone else but him.  
  
If only he could remember...  
  
A flash came upon him, a memory... a stony face, defiant, frightened but trying very hard not to show it, blood running sluggish down craggy features. A tall blonde man with eyes of steel crouching protectively in front of... a little girl? his sword glowing with a brilliant white light... a scared little girl in a white cape her hands glowing with white magic trying desperately to heal the man made of stone... he struggled desperately to hold on to the memory, to get some idea of who he had been. Who were these people? Companions? Enemies? Why couldn't he remember?   
  
A sudden explosion caught his attention, throwing hot air past his face and bringing a scowl to his lips. He looked down at his gate as a fire raged out of control... and in the center of it stood what appeared, from this distance to be a small figure in an outlandish costume with a ball of fire between readied hands. She threw the ball of flame forward with a strident shout of "FIREBALL!" and the main gate buckled, at the limits of its strength. Gaurds scattered rather then become bandit tartar like their fellows, a great hue and cry striking up as their forces tried to rally. His scowl became a grin of anticipation...  
  
This promised to be... interesting. Lifting his sword up, he stepped back and took a running leap off the very top of his tower. A sudden whistling noise drew all attention upward and all action stopped dead when the Bandit King's terrible form slammed down into crouch at the base of the fortress with enough force to leave a small crater in the hard bedrock. He stood slowly and assumed his most mocking posture, sword over one shoulder, other hand in his pocket. The fires caused the gate to collapse behind him, and the shower of sparks and the heat of the flame made his hair rise as though it had a will of its own, the heat distortion playing further tricks with his image and painting a terrifying and demonic picture. He grinned evilly at his target and somehow managed to hide his confusion at the memory confronting him. This girl... he KNEW her...  
  
Mina Inverse let her startled gaze travel the length of the giant confronting her. It took a long time to reach his face, and what she saw there... Suddenly she didn't feel quite so confident about this little quest.  
  
A booming, growling voice confirmed her fears. "You should be careful about who's door you knock on little girl... you might not like what answers." 


	4. And the Winner Is

  
"... he hurt my pride. So I kissed 'em upside the cranium with my aluminum baseball bat my name is mud." Primus, My Name Is Mud  
  
  
Mina Inverse had lived her entire life knowing she had a "grand and important destiny". One could hardly ignore the call of fate (which bears a remarkable resemblance to the sound of a person without much musical sense dementedly playing a kazoo to the tune of a funeral dirge) when one's parents were such well known and respected (and feared, let us not forget feared) individuals. With Lina Inverse, Sorceress Supreme, Dragon Spooker and Bandit Killer, and Gourry Gabriev former Swordsman of Light and Companion to the Bandit Killer (Mina wasn't exactly sure, but apparently being a Companion was alot like being a sort of walking stress relief squeeze ball or punching bag/ human target) it is no suprise that "Great Things" were expected of her.  
  
Mina began her training at a very early age. Lina Inverse might have been divest of her considerable magic talent, but she retained a frighteningly large arsenal of magical knowledge which she willingly shared to the general populace, for a rather exorbanent fee. This supplimented by Gourry's position as a respected gaurdsmen meant that The Gabriev family, while not swimming in cash, never wanted for anything. Of course, Lina took it upon herself to teach Mina everything she knew.  
  
Mina took to it like a paraplegic dwarf in iron underpants to water.  
  
Mina had inherited her razor sharp intellect, and could pick up magical theory infinitely more quickly then Lina had in her own youth. The embarassment stemmed from the fact that Mina had also inherited Gourry's natural talent for magic. This put Mina in exactly the opposite boat from Lina, who had always been a bit slow to pick up magical theory but for whom magic (especially the really destructive kind) had always come naturally.   
  
Still, Mina gritted her teeth and forced her way through Lina's teachings with a determination that rivalled even Lina's to teach her. Partly because she wanted desperately to please her mother, who wanted her to follow in her magical footsteps, and partly because she had learned early on that Lina with an idea was alot like an avalanche; one quickly learned to go with the flow or life became very difficult, very quickly. It is therefor unsuprising that the two of them did not get along very well during the onset of Mina's adolescence, when a young person's brain becomes a sea of hormone induced rebellious insanity. It didn't help that while Mina had looked remarkably like Lina as she grew up, the resemblance quickly became less pronounced as the evidence of her puberty became decidedly MORE pronounced.  
  
To put it another way, she grew a nice rack.  
  
In addition, her hair eventually went from Lina's unruly and untamed mess to a sort of happy medium between said mess and Gourry's more luxuriant mane. While Lina went through her life being called no more than cute (at least if you knew what was good for you) Mina could honestly be considered beautiful. Not that Lina would ever admit that her daughter's attractiveness got to her, it should just be noted as a contributing factor to the tensions between them.  
  
For all of the problems Mina had with her mother, she absolutely adored her father. Gourry, for all of his mental faults, was an excellent counterpoint to Lina's push for magical excellence. He was a gentle man who doted on his daughter. Whereas Lina would only grudgingly admit when Mina did well (in her presence), Gourry was very proud of how hard his intelligent daughter worked praised her often. It also helped that Gourry was endowed with the superhuman patience necessary to deal with years of Lina. Mina loved her mother, but the two didn't often see eye to eye. With her father, Mina never had to prove anything.  
  
Perhaps it was because of this fact that Mina turned out to be such a natural swordswoman.  
  
From an early age she had been facinated with swordplay. Whenever possible, she liked to go with her father to the garrison in town and watch her father train the young recruits there. Gourry was not a stupid man, contrary to popular belief. It was simply that he was in no particular hurry to arrive at the same conclusions everyone else did 3 days ago, and he had a tendancy to be somewhat absentminded about the little details, such as the names, importance, and histories of who ever he happened to be fighting at the time. Gourry eventually noticed his daughter's interest, and was soon including her in his training sessions.   
  
It didn't take long for her to outshine even the best of Gourry's pupils.  
  
She loved swordplay. Her body reacted instantly and instinctively to it's many intricacies, and her agile mind served her well, finding the blind spot or chink in her opponent's defenses with ease. Magic was like pushing a boulder up a steep incline, but the art of the sword was as easy as falling for her.  
  
So Mina was brought up with the best of both worlds at her fingertips. She would never be the Sorceress that Lina was... but she was easily twice the swordsman (so to speak) that her father had been. True to form, she prepared to carve her own legend into the world. Taking on her mother's professional name, (Mina Gabriev just didn't have quite the same ring to it) and old costume (let out in some places and adding a longsword of course) , she'd left home and vaulted into the fast paced world of professional adventuring with a passion.  
  
Only to discover that varied and sundry small monsters and pitifully inept bandit gangs did not the equivilant of 4 dark lords and a demon beast make.  
  
***  
  
Mina watched the naked and scorched bandit gang (formerly the Bruisers of Lower Westside) run away screaming and sighed heavily.  
  
"This sucks." she eloquently put it.  
  
The last few days had been a low point in her already dismal career. Bandit gang after bandit gang relearned the terror of the Inverse name, and all Mina had to show for it was a pitifully small pile of coins and a few random pieces of sorcerous junk. Lower Sailoon just wasn't the best place for bandits apparently... the Kingdom of White Magic was disgustingly full of heroes, all of whom were out to make a name for themselves. It was so prevalent the local peasantry had taken to calling them Damsel-in-Distress chasers (say it REAL fast, you'll get the joke -DT) and making a decent living off of providing leads (usually false) to same.  
  
Mina found herself perversely hoping for a major disaster.  
  
Speak of the devil... and perversity...  
  
Mina suddenly found herself being accosted by a pair of very dexterious, very knowledgable hands on her bosom. A familiar voice from her past, full of taunting cheerfulness, whispered near her left ear.  
  
"My, my Mina Inverse... all grown up I see. Little excited are we?"  
  
She spun about and planted a fist in the mocking trickster's face, while simultaniously backing up and placing her hands on her hips. Xellos fingered his jaw and grinned.  
  
"Xellos... you purple haired creep... I'd fireball you but you'd probably enjoy it."  
  
"Too true, too true. So, how have you been? Adventurer's life treating you well?"  
  
Mina scowled. "Not particularly, but then you probably already know that. Mom's told me all about you."  
  
Xellos raised an eyebrow (and yet somehow managed to maintain his cheerful slit-eyed mask) and seated himself on a handy stump recently provided by a stray flare arrow.  
  
"You wound me deeply young Inverse."  
  
Mina's scowl deepened. "I could be so lucky. So what is it YOU want... I somehow doubt this is a social visit."  
  
Xellos picked a bit of imaginary lint from his clothing and sniffed. "My, such an attitude. I'm of a mind not to assist you after all."  
  
"From what I've heard, thats not exactly a bad thing."  
  
"Please... surely Lina must have also told you what a font of information I can be."  
  
Mina crossed her arms. "What kind of information?"  
  
Xellos grinned slyly. "A quest perhaps?"  
  
Mina looked thoughtful. "Go on."  
  
Xellos' grin deepened. "What's the magic word?"  
  
"Darkness beyond twilight, crimson-"  
  
"Ok, ok, fair enough! Fair enough!" he waved his hands frantically.  
  
He sighed. "I trust you are familiar with the Black Hills?"  
  
She shrugged. "Vaguely..."  
  
He leaned in conspiratorily. "Well... rumour has it that a particularly nasty bandit gang has-"  
  
"XELLOS DAMN IT! Is that all? Another bandit gang? I'm going to fireball you anyway." She clenched her fist in front of his face.  
  
"Hear me out first! This particular Bandit Gang has been operating untouched for years. It's far larger then a gang, more of a horde actually. Rumour has it that it's success is due to it's mysterious leader, known only as the Bandit King. No hero who has challenged the Bandit King has ever been seen again." Xellos' voice rose and fell in a singsong quality emphasizing his storytelling talents. He smiled inwardly as Mina tried unsuccessfully to hide her interest... got ya.. hook, line and sinker.  
  
"If this is such a terrible army of bandits, why haven't I heard of it before? Why hasn't the Queen sent in the Sailoon Army to deal with it?" she was still skeptical, but interested.  
  
"That is the strange thing... the bandits remain entrenched in a nearly impregnable fortress, and raid only occasionally into the nearby towns. Since rousting them out of such a well gaurded place would be extremely costly, and since they don't move very far from the Black Hills, Amelia has decided to ignore them for the most part. The only thing she can really do about it is send heroes and hope the Bandit King gets careless in his challenges and falls... without the Bandit King the bandits would fall apart rather rapidly. The heroes have not been overly successful as I'm sure you can see."  
  
Mina looked at him suspiciously. "What do you get out of all this?"  
  
"Why Mina, can't I do something nice for the daughter of a former travelling companion?"   
  
She shook her head. "I've got a better question for you: How can you say stuff like that with a straight face?"  
  
He never missed a beat. "Centuries of practice dear." His face fell, and he looked, if at all possible, embarassed. "To be honest, the Bandit in question has a weapon that is rather harmful to Mazoku. Since it would be impossible for you to wield it, I was hoping that you would allow me to get rid of it, in exchange for this information."  
  
Mina frowned... it made sense... but something about all of this didn't quite sit right with her. She didn't think Xellos would reveal something as important as a weapon capable of hurting Mazoku to her pretty much for free, regardless of whether she could wield it or not. Still, the thought of a owning a weapon capable of hurting Mazoku... she smiled inwardly... it was worth a try.  
  
"I'm not promising anything, but thanks for the information Xellos." she allowed grudgingly.  
  
Xellos smiled and disappeared... the ball was rolling now...  
  
***  
  
Mina stared up at the impossibly huge man who by all rights should be splattered across the stony ground as opposed to looming over her like an ominous thundercloud. The sword cocked nonchalantly over one massive shoulder was easily longer then she was, and her longsword felt pitifully inadequate in her tight grasp.  
  
If I survive this, she thought to herself distantly, Xellos is going to be a purple smear somewhere.  
  
The fire popped and crackled merrily behind him, and he advanced slowly, his odd yellow overcoat flapping in the breeze.  
  
"What's the matter little girl? No heroic speech? No proclaimations of my impending doom?" he let out a great sigh and shook his head. "Kids these days. No respect for tradition."  
  
An uneasy chuckle escaped the bandits who crouched out of the line of fire around the battlefield. His mocking smile did not reach his eyes.  
  
He's uneasy about something... but what? Her thoughts bounced around in her head as she circled the giant warily. For his part, the Bandit King had ceased his advance just outside of sword range. He just stood there and watched her, waiting. She opened her palm, a ball of flame appearing in her hands, and smiled grimly. "The name's Mina Inverse, not kid." with that, she thrust her hand forward.   
  
"FIREBALL!" As soon as the fireball leapt from her hands, she charged after it.  
  
When he moved, she almost couldn't follow it. One minute he was there, mocking stance and all... the next he simply wasn't, and her fireball exploded in a blinding conflaguration of pyrotechnics. Instinct screamed at her and she dived aside at the last moment, as that terrible blade of his ripped a tortured furrow in the stone where she had been standing. Rolling to her feet she stabbed two handed at his unprotected back only to stagger back incredulously as his sword met hers in a resounding parry that forced her several feet back. This guy is a monster! No one that big can move this fast! She quickly formed a flare arrow and prepared to hurl it.  
  
The Bandit King chased the girl about the base of the fortress, dodging her spells and parrying her desperate attacks easily. Something about her name had jogged something inside him... he knew this girl... knew her from somewhere, and yet she didn't seem to recognize him. She was familiar and yet something about her did not quite match the picture of the frail little girl in his elusive memories. Still, he found himself enjoying the fight... he had to actually TRY to stay ahead of her...  
  
Mina was fast becoming tired and the Bandit King seemed completely unconcerned, even languid. The bastard appeared to be enjoying himself. It occured to her for the first time that she might actually die here... Her. Mina Inverse. Something in her burned at the thought, and she gritted her teeth in defiance and charged forward.   
  
"BURST RONDO!!" she flung both hands forward, one palm outstretched, the other gripping her sword tightly. A stream of tiny comets streaked toward him and he grunted as a few of them hit the mark. Frowning, he spun his sword easily in his grip and parried the rest of the deadly stream. Narrowing his eyes, he stalked forward, his full attention on the battle now.  
  
She gasped for air, nearly on the verge of collapse and looked up at him. The bandits on the sidelines were completely silent, engrossed in the battle and leaning forward, as though waiting for that final stroke that would end her life. She only had one last thing to try... but there was no way he was going to let her complete that spell... an idea struck her and she grinned wearily. Nothing to lose at this point... screw it.  
  
Dodging past his whistling blade, she spread her hands wide and shouted. "RAYWING!" a bubble of force appeared around her and the bandit king scowled.  
  
"Trying to flee are we? I DON'T THINK SO!" he roared, raising his sword high above him in both hands.  
  
She closed her eyes. He hesitated, confused for a split second, wondering if perhaps she was giving up. Something in him paled at killing a defenseless woman, who was quite possibly the only link to the past that had eluded him for so long...  
  
That was when he realized she wasn't giving up...  
  
She was concentrating.  
  
"Darkness beyond twilight, Crimson beyond blood that flows-"  
  
He frowned, the words strangely familiar to him but just outside his memory. With a growl he brought the ponderous blade down with all of his might...  
  
"Buried in the stream of time is where you power grows-"  
  
The weapon struck the bubble of force with a jarring crash, sparks shrieking off, motes of tortured magical power dancing like fireflies... the bubble flickered, weakening, as fragile as a soap bubble...  
  
"I pledge myself to conquer, all the foes who stand-"  
  
Again the blade shrieked against the magical barrier, this time sinking in, the bubble at the limits of its strength. The Bandit King leaned his considerable weight against the blade and watched as it slowly, torturously inched its way toward the girl's tranquil face.  
  
"Before the mighty gift bestowed in my unworthy hand!"  
  
Her eyes opened at last and a grin more like a grimace reached her lips. The blade was less then an inch from her face, the Raywing suddenly shattering, the now white hot blade coming down with full force...  
  
"DRAGON SLAVE!!!"  
  
The cataclysmic surge of dark fire struck the bandit king full in the chest and blasted him back several feet before the explosion turned the world into a roaring inferno. Whatever cries of alarm or fear the bandits let out were drowned out by the shrieking, wailing cacophony of tortured winds that fed the Black Magic spawned abyss. Bandit forms melted and ran together, disappearing into so much startled vapor. The walls of the fortress exploded, deciding to hell with it and skipping the step of solid to liquid and just going straight to a gas. The ground shook and startled villagers miles away looked toward the horizon and wondered at the momentary raising of a black sun...  
  
Mina Inverse dropped her sword and collapsed to her knees, her vision narrowed to a dark tunnel. She'd spent her last bit of strength in that desperate attack, throwing everything she had left into one all out magical uppercut. It had cost her, but she'd done it... she'd finally...  
  
Out of the stygian fog of black smoke, a somewhat worse for wear blackened and singed yellow overcoat forced its way out of the gloom. She looked up, wide eyed and suddenly terrified as the red haired giant calmly walked out of what small residual fires remained of her terrible spell. He patted some of the ash from his coat and frowned at her, levelling his sword at her, its point inches from her startled face. He was obviously not happy.  
  
"That," he began with the air of someone who had just been kicked in the shin, " hurt."  
  
Mina allowed herself one choked, disbelieving yelp before the darkness swept her away into a tide of oblivion, and then, mercifully, she knew no more...  
  



	5. Conversations With a Chaos Dragon

"What would you do? If it was you? Would you take everything for granted like you do?" Staind, What Would You Do  
  
Consciousness returned to Mina like an old man with a severe case of hemerroids trying to sit down. She'd blink in and out, eyelids fluttering to reveal flashes of reality. A dark sky... then nothing. blackened rock... then nothing. A sense of movement, being carried... then nothing. Finally, easing itself into place, Mina awoke suddenly to find herself staring at a scene of vast devestation.  
  
I... I did that? She thought to herself muzzily, blinking suddenly and sitting up (or at least attempting to) only to find that it is somewhat difficult to sit up when one's hands are bound behind one's self. She slipped sideways a bit and whapped her head painfully against a rocky protrusion, hissed in pain and winced. Great Mina.. head truama on top of magical overextension. You are really on top of this whole hero thing aren't you?  
  
A deep, rumbling, wryly amused voice broke into her thoughts like a burglar. "Well Mina Inverse... glad to see you've returned to the land of the living. For now anyway..."  
  
She glanced quickly towards the source of that growling voice and found herself staring at the man who by all rights should be a rapidly expanding vapor cloud. The ridiculous yellow overcoat, now somewhat tattered and burned, was folded neatly on the ground next to her, ground that had been blasted into smooth rock in some places, and blackened glass in others. Atop it was that massive blade, completely unmarred despite the terrible heat it had displayed during their fight. The man himself was crouched across from her, black tunic bunched up at the sleeves revealing massive forearms, black slacks somewhat worn but not shabby, beaten but servicable boots crushing the blackened glass beneath him. His red eyes gleamed slightly with reflected light and he smiled at her. She found herself staring at his teeth...  
  
The teeth moved, and she blinked rapidly, forcing herself to pay attention to what he was saying.  
  
"That was quite a blast you created Miss Inverse. It puts me in a decidely unpleasant position. Any idea how you're going to compensate me for that?"  
  
She blinked rapidly. Being somewhat exhausted and dealing with a rapidly increasing headache, his words made absolutely no sense to her. Compensate? Unpleasant? Where was this guy from? Bandits normally had a vocabulary limited to words with 4 letters or less, at least in her experience... Dazed as she was, she just said what was on her mind.  
  
"What... why are you still alive?"  
  
He raised bushy red eyebrows and shrugged. "I was rather hoping YOU might have the answer to that question."  
  
She shook her head and looked at him sharply. "How... how would I know that? As far as I know surviving that spell is pretty much impossible..."  
  
He scratched his chin and looked thoughtful. She gave a bit more thought to her situation. Her hands were bound tightly behind her with what felt like chain... no way of abraiding that enough to escape. Her sword was sheathed and at her side, but for all the good that did her it might as well have been in the giant's grasp. She was completely at his mercy, and that was the odd thing... he didn't particularly have a reputation for mercy at all...  
  
"Why am I still alive?" she wondered aloud, and he broke from his thoughts to give her a somewhat stern look.   
  
"Bandit and murderer I may be, Mina Inverse, but I do not make a habit of killing unconscious and defenseless women. Furthermore, I had thought you would be of some use to me, though I am rapidly being proven otherwise."  
  
She blinked. "Me? Useful? How? I'd..."  
  
He grinned. "No? Don't I look familiar Mina Inverse? You certainly look familiar to me. Though if your age is any indication I may be a bit confused. Unless you are alot older then you look..."  
  
She frowned. "How old DO I look?" she asked archly.  
  
He raised an eyebrow. "I'd say... 16? 17?"  
  
She nodded. That pretty close. Most people estimated her age to be somewhat higher due to her... ahem... attributes.   
  
He sighed. "Then you can't be who I remember. 10 years ago you would have been 7, and I rather doubt-"  
  
"Why aren't you sure? What's your name? Maybe I do know you and just forgot who you were..." She immediately felt somewhat stupid for saying this. How the hell she could have forgotten a bushy red-haired giant she wasn't sure..  
  
He raised an eyebrow. "My first memories, aside from the occasional, confusing flash, start 10 years ago. I was then as you see me now. I have not given you my name because I do not know what it is. I'm sorry Miss Inverse, I'm afraid you aren't particularly useful to me." he stood up as if to leave..  
  
"Wait! Wait a minute... you said more then 10 years ago... I look familiar... maybe you want my mother... Lina Inverse." she didn't particularly want to find out what he had in store for her should she prove "useless" to him. She needed time to come up with an escape plan or something, anything...  
  
He stopped and gave her a momentarily thoughtful look, then sat down and stared at her intently. The name was ringing some sort of bell in his head, he recognized it and latched onto it. "Now we are getting somewhere. Your mother... is the resemblance between the two of you very close?"  
  
She sighed. "Well... sort of... She used to wear the same adventuring costume, but I had to make a few... modifications to it of course..."  
  
He frowned. "Such as?"  
  
She blushed. This was not the sort of conversation she wanted to have a bandit. "My mother was not quite as... well endowed as I am." she coughed through that last part.  
  
He raised and eyebrow and smirked. "You mean she's got tiny t-"  
  
She snapped. "Yes, thats what I mean."  
  
He nodded thoughtfully. Yes... that sounded exactly right. He had a picture built in his head, and it matched the memory exactly. In a moment, he was decided.  
  
"Ah well... I was due for a change anyway. Since you rather inconviently reduced both my lodging and my army to..." he sighed and gestured around him. "Well, lets just say any bandit gang in this area will have to be called the Black Lowlands Bandit gang. A pity... I was rather fond of the place."  
  
He gave it a moment of silence, then shrugged. "So... where does your mother live?"  
  
"If you think I'm going to lead you to my mother-"  
  
He shook his head. "You aren't really in a position to argue Miss Inverse. I could probably get the information out of you eventually, but that would be... unpleasant for both you and me. Despite what you may think, I do not derrive any pleasure from seeing pain."  
  
She glared at him defiantly. He looked in her eyes, then sighed.  
  
"Look, if you are worried about me hurting your mother, I assure you that would be entirely to my detriment. I need to get information from her... for all you know we could be friends."  
  
Mina looked him over dubiously. "Somehow, I doubt that. Besides which, if you were enemies, my mother probably wouldn't give you anything other than a fireball."  
  
His grin became predatory. "Ah, but I beg to differ. You see I have something very important to her in my possession." She glared at him in realization.   
  
"You."  
  
***  
  
Look... Bandit King... whatever your name is... Damn it." she looked at him with severe irritation and a little distress. "You need a name. I can't just keep calling you Bandit King. Its ridiculous."  
  
He turned his head to stare at her indifferently. She had eventually come to the conclusion that he was perfectly willing to wait for as long as it was necessary before she came to the inevitable conclusion that she had no choice but to take him where he wanted to go. He'd been completely silent up to this point in their walk, apparently deep in thought, and had answered all of her previous questions in monosyllabic grunts.  
  
Since he didn't answer her, she decided to continue. "Alright Red, I'm having a difficulty here."  
  
If he was irritated at the nickname, he gave no sign. "So?"  
  
Well its going to become YOUR difficulty in a moment big guy."  
  
He narrowed his eyes. "What is it?"  
  
She sighed. "I have to go to the bathroom."  
  
He smirked, and she interrupted before he could say anything. "Before you even SAY it, there is no way I'm going to be able to hold it, nor am I going to mess my pants or allow you to remove them for me. You are just going to have to trust me with my hands free."  
  
He stared at her for a moment before relieving her of her sword and reaching behind her. She couldn't exactly see what he was doing but he appeared to be bending one set of links open... the links were thick and there was no way SHE could have bent them... what was this guy?  
  
He raised an eyebrow, then gestured towards some nearby trees. "I take it you want some privacy."  
  
She snorted. "I'm not even going to dignify that with a response."  
  
He kept his expression neutral. "Then I'm afraid you are going to have to give me your pants."  
  
She blinked, her mouth falling open of its own accord. "WHAT?!! OF ALL THE... YOU HENT-"  
  
He gave her an expression that brooked no arguement. "Honestly lady, do you think I'm stupid? I know as soon as you are out of sight, with your hands free, you'll try SOMETHING to escape. You hero types have a very interesting idea of honor, namely, you have none when it comes to dealing with my type. I figure you won't go flying off bare-assed to the world... it would be... beneath your dignity. Besides, think woman... If I had wanted to see you naked, hell, if I had wanted to do ANYTHING to you, I'd have done it while you were dead to the world."   
  
She opened her mouth, closed it, then did it again.  
  
"Well now, that's a rather impressive imitation of a landed fish. Now do you need to relieve yourself or not?" he was beginning to lose his patience with this stubborn young woman, and things with which he lost patience generally ended up in a shape that the gods had never intended for them when he was done with them.  
  
She glared red-hot flaming death at him, then stalked towards the brush. Just within his view, her lower quarters hidden by the bushes, she removed her pants. Then, tossing them into the road, she stepped behind a tree. Shaking his head, he bent down and picked them up, folding them over one arm. This was going to be one of those days...  
  
Behind the tree, Mina tried not to think of the close proximity of her captor. This was ridiculously embarassing. No one should have to deal with something like this... her MOTHER certainly never had to... still, he was absolutely right. She was pretty much at his mercy, should he decide to get "physical", and in her exhausted state there was very little she could have done to stop him from doing whatever he wanted with her. Thus far, aside from his infuriating nonchalance about this whole thing, he'd been nothing but the perfect gentleman... a decidely perverse and ridiculous part of her was somewhat hurt by the fact that he apparently had no interest in even catching a glimpse of her exposed. That certainly wasn't in character as far as a normal bandit went... but then, a normal bandit didn't fall unharmed from heights of 500 feet or more, nor did they walk unscathed from the terrifying power of a Dragon Slave... there was something about this man... she shook her head in wonderment at herself. What was she thinking? Down girl!   
  
Finally she called out (snapped irritably out, more likely). "I'm done. Gimme back my pants."  
  
A huge arm penetrated the brush just above her head, pants dangling from a massive fist. She snatched them from him, and he withdrew the arm.  
  
"You have 10 seconds, then I'm coming in, clothed or not."  
  
She growled. "WHAT?!"  
  
His reply was infuriatingly calm. "7 seconds left.... 6..."  
  
She broke speed records for dressing under fire.  
  
***  
  
A few hours later, as dusk fell, she started to stagger a bit. Her wrists hurt from where the chain was biting into them, and her legs felt like two leaden weights rather then a pair of useful appendages. To make matters worse, her reaction headache was pounding between her eyes with a steady beat, like a bunch of chibi-Xellos' being chased by wild mace-sama swinging Filias inside her skull. She was exhausted, but she'd be damned if she'd give him the satisfaction of...  
  
He gave her an inscrutable look and stopped so suddenly she bumped into him from behind, and immediately found herself leaning against him for support, and hating herself for it. He sighed.  
  
"I guess thats far enough for today. Have a seat."  
  
She hid her collapse to the ground rather well she thought, making it look like she'd just sat down heavily, when in actuality, she didn't think she could walk another step.  
  
Or ever stand up again.  
  
***  
  
"You know, you COULD take these chains off so I could feed myself. This is sort of embarassing you know." she glared at him and he chuckled.  
  
"I don't know, I'm kind of enjoying it myself. Besides, I don't particularly want a fork shoved into my person, thank you very much. Open."  
  
Her next words were stifled as she was forced to open her mouth or get hot rabbit chunks shoved up her nose. She chewed quickly and continued to glare at him. He turned the rabbit-carcass-on-a-stick in his own direction and bit off a huge hunk, bones and all. She almost became sick at the dry stick breaking sound of small bones crunching under his teeth and she shook her head. "Thats disgusting."  
  
He grinned and swallowed his mouthful. "Waste not want not. Besides, you might get lucky... I could choke and die."  
  
She shook her head and muttered. "I should be so lucky."  
  
She opened her mouth and accepted another bite of rabbit-carcass-on-a-stick, which she had to admit was rather tasty, though it's said that hunger is the best spice. She was ravenous. While she chewed, she watched him across the fire. He wasn't an unhandsome man, far from it... he was just really BIG. His manner of feeding her, while ridiculous and inconvieniant, was in no way cruel (aside from having food shoved into her whether she wanted it or not)... on the contrary it was almost gentle. Everything he did was so completly out of character for a bandit that she could finally take it no more.  
  
"Red... why are you treating me so... politely?"  
  
He blinked. "What?" he actually seemed somewhat startled. "If being tied up and force fed is what you consider polite I'd hate to see your definition of rude."  
  
She snorted. "Thats not what I mean. I mean the way you talk. You're so polite... its not like a..."  
  
He stared at her for a moment, then his face became a mask. "Why should I be rude or threatening? There's no advantage in it... if you aren't scared of me by now then you probably aren't ever going to be. I've already put you at such a severe disadvantage combat wise that you couldn't possibly harm me. Being rude at this point would be... cruel and rather petty."  
  
"That's just it, why would a bandit care-"  
  
"What does being a bandit have to do with this?"  
  
She blinked. "Well... everything... bandits are scum of the earth. They rob innocent people and kill... they aren't normally too concerned about politeness or cruelty, unless its how to be as cruel and impolite as possible."  
  
He narrowed his eyes. "Oh I see. I fit your rather limited definition of evil then do I? Mina, for a very smart girl you have a very narrow way of looking at the world."  
  
She blinked, then snapped back at him, hurt despite herself. "Wha.. What do you mean by that?"  
  
"Right. Well lets look at the facts. Yes, I do rob innocent people on occasion, that I will give you. I can honestly say however, that I have never once killed an innocent."  
  
"Bullshit. You mean to tell me you've never killed another..."   
  
"No, you weren't listening. I said I've never killed an innocent. Nor have I ever knowingly allowed a bandit under my command to hurt or molest an innocent under any circumstances. The elderly, children, the sick, even unarmed men and women, I never harmed them. I made it clear to any person who defended themselves that if they resisted, they would die, but if they dropped their weapons they would not be harmed, aside from monetarily."  
  
She shook her head. "So as long as they just bellied up and gave in without a fight... sorry Red, I'm not buying that."  
  
"I'm not trying to justify myself to you, and yes, if they didn't fight, we left them alone. Thats just good sense, it means less resistance in the future if people know that even if you rob them, they aren't going to be hurt as long as they don't resist. Anyone who tried to defend themselves we killed, absolutely, but anyone who's willing to fight against a horde of bandits a huge bastard like myself is no innocent, I can assure you."  
  
"It doesn't change the fact that what you were doing was WRONG!" this wasn't right... she wasn't supposed to be on the defensive like this... what the hell kind of bandit was he?  
  
He shrugged. "At least I'm honest about my wrong doing. It's alot better then being a hypocrite like you damned heroes."  
  
She blinked. "Huh? How the hell do you even begin to justify that."  
  
His eyes were cold and mercilous. It was obvious that he'd given this alot of thought, and he wasn't pleased with it. "Let me be perfectly clear. I'll even use an example you know. The 300 gold coins and knick knacks in your pouches. How did you come by it?"  
  
She blinked. "I don't see what.."  
  
"Answer the damned question!" he roared, and she started at the anger in his voice.  
  
"I took it from some bandits."  
  
"I see. You came barging up blasting down my gates and injuring my men and fought me damn near to a stand still, so I figure you didn't just steal it from them or trick them into giving it to you, you took it from them by force. Am I right?"  
  
"Well of course but I don't see..." she stammered.  
  
He didn't let her get a word in. "You had no plan what so ever to give that money back to who it was stolen from originally did you?"   
  
"How could I? How was I supposed to know where the money came from, they could have gotten it from anywhere..."  
  
He thundered on, ignoring her protestations. "So YOU keep it, and YOU spend it. Sound familiar? I rob people, innocent or not, but what it boils down to, the best definition I've heard so far, is that I beat people up who are weaker then I am and take their stuff. YOU, in turn, beat people up and take their stuff, but instead of being reviled for it, society says you are doing the world a service. How is that definition any different then the one you label as evil? The man who gave me that definition, by the way, was retired and living in the fortress you leveled as a cook because he was too damn old to go out and fight anymore. Where's your convienient definition of good and evil now? Hmm, Miss Hero?"  
  
She stared at him, nearly speechless. "Its... its not that simple... Robbing someone who earned their living honestly is wrong, pure and simple. Besides that, not every bandit does things the way YOU do."  
  
He sighed and leaned back, his face, all except for his eyes hidden in shadow. Those eyes gave her a look that were unreadable, but somehow as close as if he were right in her face. His words were quiet, but had a sort of conviction in them that she couldn't deny.  
  
"My point is Mina, that you assume that because I do what I do, I am evil, and by definition, I must also be cruel, rude, loutish, and stupid. You do the same thing, and you are rather obviously NOT cruel, rude, loutish, or stupid. I have MET some very cruel, rude, loutish, and stupid people who fit societies definition of "good". That seems very wrong and hypocritical to me, and if there is one thing I can't stand, its a hypocrite."  
  
She frowned, staring at him. "Whats the difference between us then? I know I'm not evil..."  
  
His eyes became predatory and seemed to glow with their own internal light. She repressed a shiver. "Thats very simple Mina. Robbing from innocent people is repugnant to you. Something inside you would never allow you to forgive yourself if you caused an innocent pain. That society defines as a conscience, and since you act with it in mind, follow it without question, you are considered good."  
  
He grinned. It was not a pleasant smile in any sense of the word. More a challenge. "I, on the other hand, have no conscience that I am aware of. That, my dear Miss Hero, is a weakness that I lack."  
  
The rest of the evening passed in silence, as Mina struggled to come to terms with what he'd said. She'd followed in her mother and father's footsteps, and she'd always been told it was the good and noble thing to do. What the contradictory giant said could not be denied however, and Mina was in turmoil. Every child eventually reaches the conclusion that their parents are not perfect at some point in their life. Mina had realized this intellectually before... some of her parents tactics had been questionable, but the results were undoubtably heroic. Still, that a bandit could be on higher moral ground... it shook her world view terribly. She began to feel perhaps she'd gone about this whole adventuring thing wrong... and the enigmatic and mysterious, seemingly indestructable giant before her was the source of that doubt. More and more to her shame she found herself wanting to know who he was.. to know about him...  
  
She dozed off so suddenly she might have been hit over the head with a board... and when she awoke, the Bandit King was no where to be seen... but he had apparently taken the time to wrap her up in his huge overcoat, to keep her warm....  
  
  
  



	6. Yes, I tried to Boost Ratings with Fanse...

  
"Tell me exactly what am I supposed to do? Now that I have allowed you to beat me. Do you think that we could play another game, maybe I could win this time. I kinda like the misery you put me through, darling you can trust me completely. If you even try to look the other way... I think that I could kill this time." The Game, Disturbed  
  
  
Disentangling one's self from an overcoat 3 times one's size is no easy task when one's hands are bound together. Struggling to disengage herself from the warm but stifling coat as well as the last remnants of sleep, Mina looked about for some sign of her tormentor.  
  
He was no where to seen. This was a feat in and of itself since it was somewhat hard to miss a man larger then a horse with bright red hair. Finally kicking herself free of the coat's sooty embrace, Mina rolled onto her side and then struggled painfully to her feet, muttering decidedly unhero-ish sentiments under her breath as she did so. Her arms were sore from being bound all night, and her legs and feet were cramped and sore lumps of flesh below her waist from the brutal pace that the seemingly inexhaustable Bandit King had put her through. She realized dismally that he had more then likely stopped last night for her benefit rather then his own.  
  
"One more thing I owe him for." she sighed to herself, then shook her head suddenly.  
  
What was she SAYING? Red was... well... a bandit rather obviously, and a completely unrepentant and surly one at that. The only reason he was treating her with such courtesy... the only... courtesy? It didn't make sense at all. Red was treating this whole thing not unlike she had been captured in a war, she was not so much his hostage as she was his POW. What did that mean he considered himself? A one man army? Was he insane?  
  
Still no sign of the Bandit King. Where had he gone? What was he doing? Why the hell did he put his coat on her last night? WHEN had he done so? A hundred questions buzzed maddeningly through her skull, and she set about to try and find the irritant who had put her in such a despicable position so that she might throttle an answer, or at least some satisfaction from him (regardless of the chains that bound her hands... they actually put them in a convienient sort of loop for throttling type action) and maybe get some breakfast.  
  
She was, after all, an Inverse (who are contractually required to have both insatiable appetites for food and homicidal tendancies when angered, or even just slightly annoyed) and damn it, she was hungry.  
  
A bandit with honor made no sense to her at all. The thing that infuriated her the most was that he was... well she wasn't exactly sure she could define him as "evil". Ill-tempered certainly. Arrogant, immoral, and cunning undoubtedly. Oddly enough, these very traits were lauded as virtues in the case of her mother. The only difference between them lay in their motivation. He called himself evil, and was completely content to do so. Worse, he saw being "good" as being weak in some way. It infuriated her. She kicked a stone irritably as she trudged across the dew soaked underbrush, pushing her way through several large bushes toward what sounded like running water.  
  
It should be noted at this time, that when the fates have chosen a person for their personal whipping boy (or girl as the case may be) they have a tendancy towards what in boxing is referred to as "hitting below the belt". More accurately, they have a tendancy towards distracting their target ("Hey, look over there! Whats that... is that a steak?") then resoundingly kicking them in the genitals. Twice.   
  
Hard.  
  
Then tweaking their nose and running away whilst giving them the raspberry.  
  
Which is why, as she crashed through the under brush, she suddenly found herself confronted with a portrait which could have been entitled "Indecent Bandit King's Morning Ablutions in a Forest Lake". She stopped, blinked, then blinked again.  
  
Wow, she thought to herself. He does take that sword with him everywhere he goes.   
  
The large, mostly naked man turned to her and grinned. Water glistened off his huge expanse of a chest ("Which is remarkably hairless cosidering his eyebrows... and it looks like the morning wood fairy has paid him a visit... Or maybe he's just happy to see me." the decidely naughty and very subconcious hentai part of Mina remarked).  
  
"Good morning. Care to join me?"  
  
A celestial "PHHHHHHFFFFFFT" noise could not be heard by the profoundly embarassed girl, but it was undoubtably there.  
  
***  
  
"No Red, I'm afraid my mother lives beyond Sentinel City."  
  
"I was afraid you'd say that." Red remarked offhandedly as the two of them surveyed the city in question.  
  
"City" was not a term that best fit Sentinel. "Fortress" came close. "Unassailable Fortress" was probably even closer. The fortress had been built in a natural gap between two mountain ranges that stretched in an unbroken wall along the border that seperated the Sailoonian frontier from the heartland. Originally a gaurd post, and being the only natural short cut into the lands beyond the mountain range, it had developed into a major city, for these parts.   
  
Red pointed at Sentinel City with his unsheathed sword as though he might blast a hole in its indestructable bastions by will alone.  
  
"Take a good look at that fortress Miss Hero. That, and that alone, is the only reason I didn't SACK Sailoon City years ago."  
  
Mina frowned in his direction, then returned to observing the obstacle in front of them.  
  
"The mountains stretch for hundreds of miles in either direction. That's a long walk..." She mused quietly, subdued somewhat by the size of the fortress.  
  
He sheathed the sword irritably (she didn't think she'd ever seen him sheath that thing before... in fact, she wasn't entirely sure he'd HAD a sheath for it) and crossed his arms. "Well... we don't have much of an option. Around we go."  
  
"Why don't we go through?" she looked at him sidelong.  
  
"Please. One look at me and there will be more gaurds then even I care to deal with on my own. Through is not a option Miss Hero."  
  
"Stop calling me that like it's an insult." she snapped irritably.  
  
He grinned. "Why do you take it as an insult, Mina Inverse?"  
  
She kicked him hard in the shin, to which he gave no reaction except for a widening of his grin. She started to kick him again, irritated at the long detour they would have to take, when an idea stopped her in her tracks.  
  
"Red..." she said slowly.  
  
He frowned at her. "What?"  
  
"I have a plan."  
  
***  
  
"Absolutely not. Who do you take me for, a fool?" he leaned down, staring menacingly.  
  
She upturned her own face and glared at him eye to eye, their noses almost touching. "Its alot better then going around. I don't want you near my mother, but if its a choice between walking several hundred miles out of my way and leading you to her, or straight through here and leading you, I know which I'd pick."  
  
"No. It's out of the question." he growled menacingly.  
  
"What if I give you my word!" she thundered back, not backing down an inch.  
  
He let out a startled laugh. "Your WORD?! HA! The word of a HERO to a BANDIT?"  
  
"You keep saying that Red. Hero is just a word, just like bandit. Like bandits are all honorable, and all Heroes are despicable. YOU say not to use convienient labels then call all heroes hypocrites. What does that make you Red?"  
  
He blinked, then leaned back, crossing his arms. "It won't work Mina. There'll be a lynch mob the minute we set foot in that city. I may have survived that Dragon spell of yours, but I haven't met a man yet who could live without a head, or dancing at the end of a rope."  
  
She continued to glare at him. "I'm an official hero in Sailoon, charged with bringing you to justice. You said so yourself, if they see you, they'll attack in force. If you're already detained, as a prisoner for trial, then you can't be sentenced until you've been tried. You, MISTER Bandit King, are a criminal wanted for the QUEEN'S JUSTICE, which means if you CAN be detained and taken to Sailoon City, you MUST be."  
  
He snorted. "QUEEN'S Justice. Heh. I have no intention of losing my head to that little girl." but he looked thoughtful. "And this would be just until we are past the city?   
Trust Mina Inverse. Hero." he mused.  
  
"Is that so hard Red? To trust someone?" she said quietly, continuing to stare at him.  
  
He looked slightly disturbed, as though something she'd said had struck a nerve.  
  
"When that someone is a slave to their conscience... yes. It puts me in the position of having to make a gamble on which is more important to you. Your honor, or the greater good. Make no mistake Mina Inverse... I see no reason to change MY ways..." he looked up at her spectulatively. "Why would you change yours?"  
  
She just stared at him, her conviction blindingly obvious. He seemed to be searching for something in her face, some duplicity or weakness. Whatever it was, he didn't seem to find it, and finally, with a completely neutral expression, he loosed the chains from her hands. Then, with solemn deliberation, he wrapped them about his own wrists and fastened them securely (not that he couldn't have broken free in an instant if he wanted to). For a moment Mina was shocked, then elated. While she still wondered over her victory, he suddenly looked up and grinned his arrogant grin of his, nodding his head.  
  
"Very well Mina. We shall see what you are. Hero... or bandit."  
  
***   
  
Garret leaned heavily on his pike watching the tiny trickle of merchants and the occasional tourist stream through the gate and tried to sort through the reasons why his life was such an inexplicable BLAH. Being on the frontier of Sailoon, one would think being a gaurd would be an exciting life of challenge and danger. Thus far the most dangerous thing he'd been involved in had been the righting of an overturned orange cart(but it was a BIG orange cart, and he HAD gotten a nasty splinter...) and policing the occasional surly drunk. He was BORED. Bored to tears watching the same merchants wander through the gates over and over. Bored to to tears watching excited tourists (Why couldn't they see that this place was just the same as any other only without even the basic luxuries?) pointing at every available thing as though it was the end all be all of existence. Bored to tears watching the large breasted girl in the outlandish costume leading the most wanted criminal in Sailoon past him in chains. So boring. Nothing ever...  
  
He stopped, blinked, and did the mental equivilant of a rewind. ...Pointing at every available thing.... Large breasted girl... Most Wanted Criminal.. MOST WANTED CRIMINAL!!!   
  
"H-Hey! Come back here!" he stammered (but in a very officious sort of way), leaving his post to chase them down... the captain would never let him hear the end of this...  
  
***  
  
Mina was beginning to have doubts about this whole ridiculous venture. The nonchalant, "maybe they won't notice" approach had been blown as soon as they entered the town. A rather large and angry crowd (which was only prevented from being a mob due to the 8 gaurds provided as an honor gaurd) had gathered and drifted along with them, full of angry muttering and the occasional jeer or catcall. It was not suprising at all, once one thought about it. For the past 10 years the Bandit King had been reviled as the most dangerous and deadly scourge on the Sailoon frontier, and in such an unrefined and hardy place, full of would-be heroes trying to make a name for themselves and untamed wilderness that was saying something. The graves that littered the Black Hills (now the Black lowlands, soon to be the black swamp, if nature had anything to say about it, which it did) were full of the bones of said unfortunate would-be heroes, and no small part of them had relatives in these parts. An angry murmur rose in the air like the first telltale wisps of smoke from a growing fire, and all it would take would be the slightest spark to set it off.  
  
The first stone came from the middle of the crowd, and Mina's eyes widened as she watched it whistle towards Red like a premonition of certain doom. She began to open her mouth to shout the words to a Valis Wall, anything to prevent what she knew was certain to happen....  
  
The rock struck Red in the chest with a painful sounding WUP!  
  
He narrowed his eyes, searching the crowd, his lips thinning...  
  
Mina turned to try and prevent what was about to happen...  
  
He apparently found who he was looking for, and fixing his tormentor with a completely unreadable gaze...  
  
Then he SMILED.  
  
The crowd took an involuntary step back, momentarily taken aback by the sheer potential for violence in that grin. It was a grin that said, without saying a word, that every person in that square was alive, for now, at his sufferance, and while he could afford to be magnanimous at the moment, it was only at his whim that no retaliation was being taken.  
  
The anger and violence charging the air was suddenly given the equivalent of a sound bitchslap when the Captain of Sentinel arrived with 30 armed gaurds.  
  
"Alright, thats quite enough of this happy horse shit for one day." the voice would have been pleasant if it didn't give one the impression that the only reason it was as such was due to the owner's extreme love for bouncing one's skull off of the pavement for fun.  
  
Mina's spell died on her lips and all of the crowd suddenly stopped and turned to the source of this rude announcement. Even Red stopped grinning and raised a wary eyebrow in it's direction.  
  
The source of said edict was a lean, wolfish woman in her mid-to-late 20's with short, wavey red hair that barely touched the nape of her neck. She was dressed in a standard issue gaurd uniform and armor, the captain's bars looking very appropriate on her well polished person. Her lips were drawn in an expression of extreme disdain, and one could tell from her stance and the way her palm lingered lightly on the pommel of her bastard sword that she knew what she was about. Of course, in order to get that impression, all one had to do was look into her lazily halfslitted grey eyes. They missed nothing, but gave nothing away.  
  
It was extremely obvious at that point exactly who ran THIS city.  
  
Her gaze passed over Mina almost dismissively, lingered on Red for a moment, then snapped back to the crowd.  
  
"What was I not clear? SCRAM! This is official business."  
  
The crowd edged back, bleeding a few individuals (who probably had very good reasons NOT to get the captain's attention) into the shadows, but grudgingly. A few individuals muttered bitterly, and the captain frowned.  
  
"Are you suggesting that the Queen is incapable of handling justice in this situation?" she phrased it in a quiet, dangerous sort of voice that still somehow managed to be conversational. The gaurds around her showed the crowd exactly what they thought of that, swords rattling suggestively in sheathes, and a vast majority of the crowd decided it had pressing matters elsewhere.  
  
Red let out a rumbling chuckle and seated himself crosslegged on the ground, much to Mina's amazement. The captain gave him a look that bespoke painful death, which he ignored, save to snort irritably.  
  
"Let me know when you people decide who to be more afraid of. Me... or HER."  
  
That rather amused statement effectively broke the back of the angry crowd. (really more of a crowdlet by now) The last few stragglers cleared the street, leaving Mina and Red alone with just under 40 gaurds in the Sailoon Army.  
  
The Captain stood there for a few moments, then finally appeared to notice Mina for the first time.  
  
"So. You're the Hero that bagged this pain in the ass hmm?" she looked Mina over critically, and Mina straighted up unconciously. She had, after all, been trained alongside several gaurds. Her father had ground the routine into her rather well.  
  
"Thats right. My name is Mina Inverse." she allowed gaurdedly.  
  
"Hmm, Inverse huh? Pardon me saying so..." she said, obviously not giving a damn about Mina's pardon in the slightest, "but weren't you Inverses more of a shoot first, sort through the ashes later sort of bunch?"  
  
Mina shrugged. "My mother was. I'm a bit more mercenary in my outlook. I figure the Queen will pay pretty good money to get her hands on this "pain in the ass" as you call him." she couldn't resist and kicked him sharply in the side to accentuate how much of a pain in the ass she thought he was. He gave her an unimpressed sort of glower.  
  
The Captain didn't look particularly impressed with her display either. "Right. I suppose you were just going to waltz him right through my city, leaving a wake of disgruntled citizens in your wake... is that about the score?"  
  
Mina shrugged, playing the part. "Not my problem. I've got my hands full with HIM." she jerked a finger at Red, who for his part was starting to look rather bored.  
  
The captain leaned forward, her voice getting even more pleasant. "Well... that's where you're wrong sister. See, I'm charged with maintaining the peace in the realm of Sailoon. Now, I might be a little old fashioned, but I gave my oath that I would do what I'm charged to do... and I take my oath very seriously." she raised her voice, slightly, stifling Mina's protests. "It just so happens that right now what you are is a hell of a big disturbance to the peace. Until I figure out exactly what the hell Sailoon wants to do with chuckles there..."  
  
She grinned, and it was every bit as nasty as Red's had been. "Well... lets just say I've got a nice room and a bed with 3 square meals a day and plenty of iron just for you big guy." She gestured to the gaurds and started to walk away as they took up positions around Red, who gave Mina an "I told you this was a stupid idea and now I'm going to have to hurt many people" sort of look.  
  
"Out of the question!" Mina snapped, starting to feel trapped. "If you think I'm letting this bounty slip out of my hands you-"  
  
The captain stopped and turned around slowly, giving Mina a pleasant smile that did not reach her eyes. "Oh I'm sorry.. did that sound like a request? You know, if there's one thing I hate more then pushy heroes, its pushy mercenary heroes. Relax sister. I promise you'll be properly compensated for this. In the meantime... enjoy the city. This is out of your hands."  
  
"BUT-" Mina found herself at a loss for words, this whole conversation giving her a terrible sense of deja vu.  
  
The captain barked an order and the gaurds began leading the chained giant away, who miraculously went without any resistance. As he was being led away, he caught her gaze momentarily before they passed into the garrison.  
  
His eyes were mocking her... as though they had judged her... and found her wanting.  
  
***  
  
Author's Note: LORD this has been a hard chapter to write. The plot thickens (although this won't become apparent until somewhat later) and events begin to speed up a bit. I hope everyone is still enjoying this... as the story gets more and more complicated, it begins to take on a life of its own. I hope you enjoy reading it as much as I'm enjoying writing it. Thanks to Ameythst Angel for her wonderful fanart, which hopefully will be viewable when the (Suprise!) Slayers Generations webpage starts up. I'll still post to fanfiction.net when I can, but due to the fact that I'm in the Navy and getting ready to go "Haze Grey and Underway" as the phrase goes this may be difficult as I won't have internet access. Don't panic those of you who enjoy Mina and (forgetful) Gaav's misadventures... I WILL still have email access, and AA has volunteered to make a beautiful page up for the story (and if you aren't familiar with AA's "Slayers Players Do Hamlet" Manga you are a naughty otaku and should be jabbed with pointy sticks... but not before you check out:  
  
http://www.cloudnet.com/~dietzt/hamlet.htm )  
  
Also, I will continue to post this story as Slayers Generations on fanfiction.net, but the Age of the Crappy Working Title is now over. The official title for this fanfic has been narrowed down between two titles that I like... namely, Slayers: Hearts of Chaos or Slayers: Shards of Chaos. The second won't make much sense until later on in the story (hehehehehe) but is probably more appropriate. I think I'll let... THERESA decide! Yay! She takes all that nasty frightening freewill out of my timid little life. Love ya AA!!  
  
It is my duty to inform you, gentle readers, that AA is doing this as a favor to me, and any whining in her direction will be met with stern disapproval by me. Not that this means you shouldn't contact her, just don't bug her about when the site will be up unless its to say THANK YOU or, YOU ARE GOD. She has a very busy little schedule (something I am infinitedly familiar with... **&#*#&^@A^ 12 on 12 off 7 days a week cruise work schedule)  
  
Anyway, with this pretentiousness out of the way, expect the next chapter within the next few days. Oh and in case I didn't make myself crystal clear, thanks for checkin' my stuff out!   
  
-Christopher T. Cuellar, AKA Dusttraveller and Luggage Puppy, and plainclothes loyal minion to the Queen of Swords 


	7. Mina Commits a Party Foul and the Plot T...

"What you see. Is what you get. Don't relax. You're not home yet. Put your life into my hands, look around you'll understand." -It's the 80's, Oingo Boingo   
  
Mina sat alone in smoky tavern (even before the invention of cigarettes and pipes, back when mankind did his business in caves, taverns were always smoky places. This is just one of the many inscrutable laws of nature, like if you leave any cassette tape in the car long enough it becomes Queen's Greatest Hits.) accepting the congratulations and thanks of strangers for capturing the hated Bandit King. She smiled gently to most of these, and politely declined any drinks she was offered. The people assumed this was due to heroic modesty and nodded their heads, pointing at her and remarking to one another, this is how a hero should act.   
  
They might have had a slightly different opinion if they could have sensed the dilemma in thoughts.   
  
"He said it himself... which IS more important to me... my word, or the greater good?" she thought dismally and picked idly through the bowl of beernuts (another of nature's mysteries).   
  
"He certainly hasn't done anything to reassure me that he's not going to hurt my mother when he finds her... Dad may be an amazing swordsman but he doesn't have a chance against this guy, and with mom as magically weak as she is..."   
  
She suddenly blinked and shook her head. No... that wasn't right... he HAD reassured her that he wouldn't hurt her mother... he'd given his word. In fact, as far as she could recall, he'd never broken his word to her... not even on small things. She groaned.   
  
Why did this have to be so damn difficult? It was pretty straightforward... she'd gotten him into prison... he'd be tried and convicted and probably executed. Justice served, end of story. He certainly deserved justice. She'd seen first hand the kind of man he was. He liked being stronger then other people, used his size ruthlessly to get what he wanted. He had no conscience, nothing in his head was telling him that what he was doing was wrong. He killed without compunction, and stole from those weaker then him. He was rude, and... and...   
  
He had the strictest sense of honor that she'd ever encountered in a human being. Didn't that make it more admirable that he followed it even though he didn't have a conscience telling him what was right and wrong? He'd been completely courtious to her even though he didn't have to be. Even when it was downright inconvienient for him to be so. Mina was in turmoil... she'd never been in a situation where there didn't seem to be a right way and a wrong way. All of this was HIS DAMN FAULT!!   
  
She slammed her hand down on the bartop in frustration and misjudged slightly, hitting the edge of the bowl of beernuts and throwing them across the room in a shrapnel-like pattern that would have made a grenade proud. Several startled patrons eyed her in surprise, blinking owlishly in astonishment. She stood up quietly, dropped several gold coins (far more then she owed) onto the bartop and walked out without another sound.   
  
One bar patron turned to another and whispered. "Heroes... tormented by demons the likes of which we MERE mortals could not possibly understand."   
  
His more realistic friend turned to him sourly and shook his head. "Naw... probably just that time of the month."   
  
His friend shrugged. "Same thing."   
  
Several others nodded sagely. At least the ones without girlfriends or wives present.   
  
***   
  
Red was not so much languishing in his cell as lurking. It was not a particularly uncomfortable cell as cells went. It had 3 stone walls and a stone ceiling, as well as a wooden floor. The remaining wall was made of iron intermixed with orihalcon, and Red had a sneaking suspicion that orihalcon was mixed into the other walls as well. Probably to prevent sorcerors from escaping. It had no rats, no stray bones, not even a constant drip. It had a single wooden cot that was neither particularly comfortable or uncomfortable.   
  
Red's only problem was that he'd never been in a cell before. Never in his entire 10 year career as a bandit had he been imprisoned.   
  
It was really starting to piss him off.   
  
They'd taken his sword away from him and he keenly missed its weight at his side. All because of that... girl.   
  
He supposed he couldn't blame her really. She was a hero after all. She was sworn to defeat people like him. Not treat them like companions and human beings. His mistake had been that he'd been around her far too long... she'd become a person instead of an object somewhere in there... he'd assumed the same had been true of him.   
  
She'd stopped being a hero and started being just Mina.   
  
The problem as he saw it was that the same couldn't be said of him. Who was he? What was he? She could tell him with no uncertainly who she was and what she stood for. Could he honestly do the same?   
  
He sighed and stood up, pacing the length of his small cell and staring at the bars like a tiger in a zoo. Except that this tiger had the equivilant strength of a bulldozer. He was going to give her a couple more hours to make her decision and then he was going to bust out of here... gaurds or no gaurds.   
  
His pacing was interrupted by the sound of confident footsteps coming down the stairway. He looked up warily and put his hands on the bars, glowering at whoever was about to make an entrance. The captain, when she rounded the bend and strode out into the room adjacent to his cell did not look particularly upset by his antics.   
  
She grinned humourlessly and walked right up to the bars.   
  
"Glad I could catch you at a good time. Got a moment?"   
  
He frowned. "I don't know... I have such a full schedule lately. I might be able to fit you in next wednesday."   
  
She shook her head. "Honestly... I thought you were smarter then this. How did that little girl manage to capture you? She doesn't strike me as anything special... even if she is an Inverse."   
  
Red shrugged. "Appearances can be deceiving. One minute someone can appear to be in your power, the next, you are fully in theirs..." he frowned thoughtfully.   
  
She grinned. "How true. Tell me Bandit King. Have you ever been merciful in all your years as a bandit?"   
  
He grinned. "To the weak? I suppose that is a question you'd have to ask them. To my enemies?" he shook his head. "I don't like leaving enemies at my back."   
  
She nodded. "I don't suppose I look familiar to you do I?"   
  
He narrowed his eyes. "No... should you? I suppose I killed someone you were close to? Someone important to you?" he smiled mockingly. "Now I suppose you want vengeance is that it? Want me to recognize my fate at the last moment? Sorry. Killing was never that personal for me."   
  
She shook her head. "You really do like to hear yourself talk don't you? Convinced you know everyone so well. I remember you Bandit King." she looked down, avoiding his eyes. He was stunned. from what he'd seen so far, this was completely out of character for her. "How couldn't I remember my own savior?"   
  
Red blinked several times, opened his mouth, closed it, then opened it again.   
  
"Well... thats a rather impressive imitation of a landed fish. Still haven't jogged your memory?" she smiled. "I was being assaulted by that pig of a former bandit king when you showed up. You killed him. You saved me. It puts me in a position I wish I could avoid."   
  
He was still speechless.   
  
"On the one hand, you are an enemy to the country I am sworn to protect." she drew her sword and looked at it. "I meant what I said... my word means alot to me. On the other hand... I wouldn't BE a gaurd in this army if you hadn't intervined...   
  
He shrugged. "He probably wouldn't have killed you..."   
  
She shook her shoulders. "Trust me... there are some things worse then death. So I owe you before I owe my country." she sighed. "I only hope my career survives this."   
  
She withdrew a key from her cloak and stepped close to the door. That is when Mina rounded the stairs. She took note of the key in the Captain's hand, and the drawn sword, and instantly knew what was going on. She drew her own sword and narrowed her eyes.   
  
"HOLD IT RIGHT THERE!!" she thundered, her eyes flashing dangerously.   
  
The captain stopped dead and spun around, snarling.   
  
"Stay out of this hero... It doesn't concern you!"   
  
"Bullshit it doesn't concern me. I know what you're planning and I won't let you take justice into your own hands!"   
  
The two circled each other warily, looking for an opening. Red, for his part, watched the happenings amusedly. HE knew why they were both here, but apparently they didn't. He crossed his arms. This promised to be amusing.   
  
"I should have known you would try something like this... you sanctimonious bitch!" Mina hissed, lunging forward in a vicious strike.   
  
The captain parried the strike upwards, darting her own longsword down beneath the young hero's strike in a riposte that would have spilled the girl's guts all over the wooden floor had she still been in its path. "As I said, this is none of your business. You couldn't possibly understand what has to be done here!"   
  
Red shook his head and snapped his fists apart, snapping the chains from his wrists in a negligent gesture. "Hey!"   
  
Mina twirled her blade into a backwards stance and threw her cape forward into her opponent's eyes, snapping a strike out under the captain's gaurd. Both of them ignored Red completely. "I understand that you are a vicious shit and I've been wanting to teach you a lesson since I met you!"   
  
The captain leaped backward to avoid the strike, which lightly grazed her forearm. She hissed. "Feelings mutual little GIRL!"   
  
Red sighed and took one of the bars in both hands, twisting and yanking backwards with all of his strength. The bar bent, then snapped with a resounding PRANG! Both of them continued their fight, completely ignoring them. He shook his head again. Amazing...   
  
The captain stepped around a thrust by Mina and kicked her in the back of the legs as she passed. Mina continued her lunge and the blade went through the bars before she could stop herself... the tableau froze like this with Mina staring horrified at her blade, which penetrated the bars of the jail cell. The captain had a similiar look. Red simply looked irritated... he'd been forced to parry the blow upwards with the bar he'd twisted loose and it had very nearly severed the end off of one of his bushy eyebrows.   
  
"Oh my GOD!! Red... h... are you ok?" Mina stammered, turning red...   
  
"Holy sh...! Are you alright?!" the captain shouted simultaniously.   
  
The two girls stopped and looked at the other for several stunned seconds.   
  
"What do you mean, are you alright?" they both accused the other, pointing fingers.   
  
"I'm trying to get him out of here..." the captain hissed, still in a combat stance. "What did you think I-"   
  
"I thought you were trying to kill him you crazy Bi-" Mina frowned... something wasn't right here.   
  
"ME kill him? What are you-" she raised her sword threateningly.   
  
"If you two are quite through rescuing me," Red remarked sarcastically. "I think we should get this over with before it attracts undue attention." he stuck the bar in between two others and used it as a lever to begin bending the two bars outward.   
  
They turned on him suddenly. "You stay out of this... what ARE you doing?!" Mina blinked when she saw the damage he was doing to the jail cell.   
  
He sighed. "I'm getting myself out since the two of you seem to be in no hurry to do so."   
  
Mina turned to the captain and blinked. "You really are here to get him out?"   
  
"Well... yes... and you..?"   
  
"Why? Mina was confused.   
  
"I might ask you the same question!" the captain bristled.   
  
"I asked you first." Mina pointed out.   
  
Red stepped out of the cell and leaned on his bar tiredly. This was going to take a while.   
  
"Because... because he prevented me from being... molested a long time ago. His bandit gang used to be another Bandit King's... and he was a pig. He tried to... you know. The current bandit king killed him, and took command. He saved me."   
  
Mina gaped, then got a hold of herself, sheathing her sword. "Well... I'm trying to get him out of here because I gave my word."   
  
"What?" the captain frowned.   
  
"Never mind." Mina blushed. "It's a long story."   
  
The captain seemed satisfied with this. She sheathed her sword and went to a wall locker, removing Red's sword. He dropped his bar and took it happily, and both Mina and the Captain sweatdropped at his relief at being reunited with the blade. When everything was back under control, Red turned to the two girls and sheathed his sword.   
  
Red sighed. "Now then... as much as I appreciate the gesture captain... this isn't exactly a good career move for you. Not that I care particularly..."   
  
Mina gave him an annoyed glare and he trailed off.   
  
"I understand that... I told you I don't care about that."   
  
Mina looked speculative. "Well... what if we made it look like Red overpowered you and escaped?"   
  
The captain frowned. "Well... I guess that would work. If he could break out of his cell, he'd certainly be able to drop me."   
  
Mina snapped her fingers. "Well there you go. All you have to do is hit her hard enough to knock her out, and we're home free."   
  
"Out of the question." Red crossed his arms. "I don't hit women who aren't fighting against me."   
  
Mina smiled. It was a very, very evil smile.   
  
A sudden, loud CRRAAACK!! echoed through the halls. It was a very important sounding crack. The kind of crack that meant someone had just recieved a major head injury.   
  
The captain blinked, looked cross-eyed for a few stunned moments, then collapsed like a poleaxed steer.   
  
Red adopted a similar expression and stared at Mina, who looked smugly pleased with herself. She rubbed her right fist. "I do."   
  
Red looked at the captain, then back at Mina. "Who taught you to punch like that?"   
  
"A pacifist."   
  
"Wha..?!"   
  
"Don't ask. You really don't want to know."   
  
***   
  
The escape from the prison and city was remarkably easy. The few gaurds they encountered were easily taken care of by Red's sleep spell (namely, he hit them soundly on the head until they didn't move anymore) and the two of them were able to slip out of Sentinel with remarkably little fuss. It made sense really... why gaurd the inward facing side of an outpost when the enemy can only come from one direction? It was just good sense. Of course, this didn't stop Daven, a three year archer who had stopped for a drink on the North wall. When he saw the telltell yellow overcoat making its way hurriedly out of the city he choked on his whiskey and spilled it all over himself in his haste to ready his bow. Taking aim with years of practice, he sighted in on the man's broad back, biting his lip in concentration....   
  
A sudden crack as the head of a rather odd staff resounded loudly in the night and Daven spun dizzily to witness a strange, purple haired man in priest robes grinning at him. Staggering backwards, he tripped over the wall behind him and fell 60 feet down to his squishy death. Xellos winced and managed to look apologetic.   
  
"Oops... my, my... I AM sorry about that... but you really shouldn't have been drinking on watch."   
  
He put both white gloved hands on the wall and stared out after the two fugitives. Things had not gone EXACTLY as he'd wanted them to... Gaav had been ridiculously close to one of the shards of his power, but nothing had happened... Xellos had assumed the two of them would be drawn together. Ah well... there was nothing he could do about it right now... and he didn't want Gaav to be aware of his involvement just yet. He frowned. It also wouldn't do for Gaav to encounter Lina Inverse just yet either... he shrugged.   
  
"Ah well... a trickster's work is never done." with that, he faded from existence with a hiss of displaced air. The night remained quiet, as the two fugitives disappeared into the distance.   
  
***   
  
The captain entered her modest home to the smell of steeping tea. She sighed, kicked off her boots and sagged painfully into a cushioned chair (one of her few luxaries) shielding her eyes.   
  
She had a headache.   
  
Her live-in-lover, also in the gaurd though he'd been off duty today, silently carried in two cups of tea and handed one to her wordlessly. She'd always felt a bit guilty about him, he was much younger then she, and he WAS under her command, but he didn't seem to mind taking her orders, never expected preferential treatment, and weathered her rather... abrupt personality with remarkable calm.   
  
Besides... he brewed a mean cup of tea.   
  
He looked at her face, frowned, set his tea down and leaned in closer, examining her extremely bruised jaw.   
  
"Good gods Tess... who did this to you?"   
  
She sighed. "It's a long story. Let's just say I had a disagreement. I lost."   
  
he raised an eyebrow. "Want to talk about it?"   
  
She frowned. He looked at her with such open concern that she found herself opening up to him without fight. Normally with her, it was like dragging teeth. It was just one more reason why she loved him.   
  
"God..." she thought... It's like I've known him all my life."   
  
He listened to her tell her story quietly, only asking the occasional question to clarify something he didn't quite understand. She couldn't tell if he was accepting what she said or condemning it... in his own way, he had almost as strict a sense of right and wrong as she did. It was why they got along so well.   
  
Tess's earliest memories had been of the village where she lived. fortunately for her, considering what eventually happened, she'd had no relatives in town. She'd never known her parents. She'd had to raise herself. It had made her extremely independant.   
  
Then the Black Hills Bandit Gang had shown up.   
  
The rest, as they say, was history.   
  
After the story, her serious lover was silent for a long time. Finally, with a gentle grin, he gestured towards her teacup. "Your tea is getting cold."   
  
"You... you mean you don't mind?" she asked, her love for him making her somewhat timid (something she absolutely detested).   
  
He shrugged. "My fathe.... well... someone I knew once would have done the same thing Tess. I can't really fault you for it. I think you did what you thought was best. Thats all that matters to me."   
  
She stared at him for a long time, then looked at the teacup. Then she reached for him. "Screw the tea."   
  
Several pleasant hours (NO I'm NOT going to go into details... you horn dogs! -DT) later, she turned to him and smiled. Reaching out gently, she caressed the horn (NO NOT THAT HORN!! GEEZ!) on his FOREHEAD that seperated him from the rest of the world. "I love you Valgaav..."


	8. The Work of a Professional Bastard is Ne...

"What is it really that is in your head? What little life that you had just died. I'm gonna be the one who's takin' over, now this is what its like when worlds collide." -When Worlds Collide, Powerman 5000  
  
  
When stacking the advantages that a high level mazoku has against the average human, one quickly comes to the conclusion that the Lord of Nightmares has an extremely warped sense of humor. Had Xellos been a human being, unless he had access to a pair of very fast horses, it would have been extremely unlikely he could have beaten Mina and Red's exhausting pace to the elder Inverse's home. Red was a tireless and fast traveller, and Mina was well accustomed to the exertions of a life on the road. Still, even though they moved at an inhumanly fast pace, they were only human (at least in perception, in some large and surly cases) whereas Xellos was a Mazoku.   
  
Besides... Xellos cheats. To put it more succinctly, in the great poker game of life, the dealer is often the winner; he gets to set the rules, and he has the deck first in hand. Xellos has not only memorized the worn edges of the deck of life, he has spent several hours at a very high quality Kinkos making copies in order to stack the deck in his favor. This puts him in the position to win rather consistently, much to the other player's consternation, and as we all know, the winner gets to deal.  
  
Rather a vicious cycle that.  
  
Xellos exited the tunnel he created through the Astral plane (and out of the smoking ruins of the author's attempt at metaphor, but then, trying to typify Xellos will do that to you) a few hundred yards from Lina and Gourry's domicile and proceeded to walk the rest of the way so as not to attract undue attention. A note at this point; Xellos does not teleport, though to the uninitiated it may appear so. No, Xellos is able to travel through the Astral plane, a place that not even the Mazoku have ever bothered to really define. Time moves differently there, distances warp and twist, and one is never quite sure where one is at any given moment. Unless of course, one happens to be a creature of that realm (or naturally warped and twisted anyway) in which case moving through the astral ether is as natural as breathing. This would explain why sorcerors have never managed to develope true astral travel or teleportation. The former being mainly that if the Mazoku have some secret to astral travel, they have never revealed it to humanity (the answer normally given to such inquiry is extremely unpleasant and involves trying to find one's various internal organs at varying points in astral space). The latter, resulted in some rather... unpleasant experiments that resulted in what was undoubtedly a closer study in internal human anatomy then bystanders would have wished. Thus, it was determined that there was just some things that human sorcery was simply too imprecise to do.   
  
All of this is rather beside the point, as the current mode of travel that Xellos was using is available to a majority of earth's creatures. Knocking soundly on the stout wooden door, he waited patiently.   
  
No answer. Xellos frowned. He'd have to search her out, which was an annoying, if hardly insurmountable obstacle. It was late evening.. there was no reason Lina Inverse should be out and about, particularly in her weakened condition. He grinned slightly at that. The sorcoress' perdicament never failed to invoke a sense of satisfaction in him, mainly because the blame for it rested entirely on his shoulders. All because of a simple, half considered whim years and years ago...  
  
His grin widened to a full on smile. He'd long since learned not to ignore his odd sense of humor, more often then not the results of his twisted sense of amusement yielded unexpected benefits in the long run.  
  
Besides... life wouldn't be nearly as much FUN.  
  
****  
  
"WHAT DO YOU MEAN KIDNAPPED!!!" Lina Inverse bellowed as she put a little more pressure into the headlock she currently had Xellos in.  
  
Xellos sighed (or tried to). Time had apparently mellowed the volatile Sorceress... a few years ago Xellos would have been on fire at the moment.  
  
"I meant what I said Miss Lina... urk... your daughter has run into an old enemy of yours... sadly..." Xellos didn't particularly NEED oxygen, but it was amazing what a distraught Lina was capable of.  
  
"What old enemy?" Lina Inverse had a valid reason for asking this question; she didn't exactly leave a whole lot of enemies still alive (or even in one piece) behind her.  
  
Even in her painful headlock, Xellos managed to smile. "Why... Gaav the Demon Dragon King Miss Lina."  
  
Lina turned pale and let Xellos go. This was exceedingly bad news. "Gaav? Bu... But how? I saw him obliterated by Phibriso almost 20 years ago..."  
  
"Never the less, Gaav it is. I might also mention that he is probably not overly pleased with you. I believe his is trying to get at you through her."  
  
Lina looked down, still pale. She remembered that terrible fight. Zelgadis and Gourry beaten and at the end of their strength, Amelia... brave, overzealous Amelia scared out of her wits... then the Ragna Blade... Gaav descending to earth in a ball of fire...  
  
Only to reappear again when everything seemed calm, completely unharmed... exuberant even... In that moment Lina had known that she faced a foe that she could not destroy without the GigaSlave... that terrible spell that she dare not cast. Apparently not even Phibriso was capable of destroying him... without her powers... how could she HOPE to destroy him?  
  
She gritted her teeth and looked at Xellos coldly. "I doubt you're telling me the whole story Xellos, but thank you. I'm going to have to... ask you a favor."  
  
Xellos raised an eyebrow. "Oh? Lina Inverse? Asking... ME a favor? Why I do believe this is a first in human history."  
  
"Please?" she asked sweetly as she put him into another headlock.  
  
"Ack... since you ask so... nicely... Sure..."  
  
She let him go and frowned thoughtfully. Time to gather some extra help.  
  
****  
  
"Uh... so why is this Garv guy so dangerous anyway?"  
  
"ERRR... GOURRY!" she batted him on the head. "That's GAAV you pudding head!! GAAV! The Demon Dragon King? Remember? Bad fashion sense, BIG sword, BIGGER ego, kicked us all over the Katato Mountain Range?"  
  
Gourry Blinked and got a thoughtful look. "But... I thought... that Smellmaster guy killed him."  
  
Lina blinked several times trying to translate Gourry's response. Gourry's world was a very simple one, and it didn't have room for unimportant details like foes fought several years ago.  
  
"Yeah Gourry... thats right. He's back though. Apparently he wasn't killed dead enough."  
  
Gourry looked confused, but Lina took this for a normal sign and continued.  
  
"Anyway, Gaav has Mina, and-"  
  
Gourry's look of confusion disappeared so quickly that Xellos raised an eyebrow.  
  
"Thats all you had to say Lina. If Mina is in trouble with this Glay guy, then we have to help her."  
  
Gourry's eyes had turned to steel.  
  
He could be a very scary man when he wanted to be.  
  
****  
  
Thus, our desperate (or in some cases, clueless, and in one case, devious) band of adventurers set off towards their next and closest stop... the capital of Sailoon, Sailoon City (oddly enough). Lina may have been a very proud woman, but when her daughter was on the line, and she no longer had the power to save her by herself, it was time to look to outside sources.   
  
Besides... Amelia had the resources of a Kingdom behind her... surely an army could stop Gaav.  
  
It could have been considered ironic that Mina was more or less willingly leading Gaav to Lina's door step, and that Gaav felt no pressing need to kill the famous sorceress (at least, no more pressing need then he felt to kill anyone), and who would now be missing one another by approximately one day....  
  
It could have been considered ironic, if it had not been completely engineered by a professional bastard.  
  
****   
  
"Valgaav?" the voice was so soft that Valgaav lazily opened one golden eye and grinned at his hesitant lover.  
  
"You know, you are amazingly cute when you're unsure of yourself."  
  
That earned him a gentle thwap with a pillow.   
  
"Val... I.. when I told you about my story, you said it reminded you of someone. What did you mean by that?"  
  
Valgaav frowned gently and rolled onto his back, hands behind his head. "Hmm."  
  
"Well.." he sneaked a grin at her. "You probably figured out I'm not human by now."  
  
She blushed. "Yeah well... some... er... things gave it away."  
  
"Well... now bear in mind that I don't remember what I'm about to tell you... it was told to me when I was a child."  
  
He proceeded to tell Tess about Gaav, and his vengeance sworn against Lina and her gang, and his attempt destruction of the world, his rebirth...  
  
"...So Mom thought my ties to him were severed when I was "born" without the horn he gave me along with his power, but then when I was about 6 months old, it just started growing in, with no warning. Mom never could figure it out, and she could never get Xellos to give her a straight answer. I don-"  
  
He stopped suddenly when he realized that her gaze was very distant. "Tess? What's wrong?"  
  
"I-I..." Tess stopped, eyes closing, in the depths of a memory she could swear was not hers. Valgaav, minus his horn battered and bloodly, his eyes defiant. She remembered feeling a kinship... finding a soul on the run like himself.. (HIMself?) he (HE?) asked Valgaav a question but the roaring of sound in Tess's ears drowned out the words. Valgaav seemed to agree, then.. and then...  
  
Tess's eyes flew open wide. "Noooo!"  
  
Valgaav shook her, his face anxious and worried. "Tess... Tess whats wrong? Whats-"  
  
With terrible strength, Tess involuntarily threw him loose, shaking in fear all her life she had been unsure of her past, no parents, no family... growing up not knowing... now she knew... and knowing....  
  
"NOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO!!!"  
  
Knowing was worse.  
  
Elsewhere, a gray, almost shapeless form hidden behind a mask threw its gaze outward, seeking the source of that cry...   
  
A black armored warrior with an even blacker heart looked up suddenly from his butchery, the blood running slowly down his face. Something had startled his reverie... some nameless urge told him to stand... to search...  
  
The wandering one in the shadows smiled. It was time. The shards were awakening. Soon. Soon the war would begin.  
  
***  
  
"Red? Red... what is it? You look like someone just danced on your grave."  
  
Red, who up until this point had shouldered all the strange happening in his life without concern, shivered involuntarily and tightened his grip on his sword.  
  
"I think... someone just did..." 


	9. Funky Flashback Interlude! The Voice At...

"I'm your only friend, I'm not your only friend but I'm a little glowing friend but really, I'm not ACTUALLY your friend but I am..." -They Might Be Giants, Birdhouse in Your Soul  
  
A beautiful and graceful young woman sat outside her modest home and sipped her tea thoughtfully. The sun was on the verge of dawning, painting everything in a very delicate shade of pink (one of her favorite colors). She sighed and closed her eyes, quite at peace with herself and the world around her. She treasured moments like these. They reminded her of the quiet times in the temple, before she knew how fragile tranquility was. In the times before Lina Inverse, and the inherant insanity that followed her like a storm cloud. In the the times before. Those peaceful, happy times...  
  
The times before HIM.   
  
This was a mistake. Thinking about HIM inevitably summons him. I think its a rule. Well... maybe he won't-  
  
As was the usual order of business during such special moments in Filia's life, Xellos found some way to be a part of it.  
  
Usually in the same manner that gas is a part of a really good meal.  
  
"Fantasizing about a certain handsome Mazoku we both know Filia dear?" the taunting, whimsical tone of his always managed to send nails careening into her eardrums.  
  
Frickin' BIG ones. With bells on.  
  
"Oh absolutely Xellos. I was just imagining you wriggling about on a large iron hook like the worm you are." she kept her eyes closed, more so that she could maintain the illusion that she was still alone then for enjoying the sunrise.  
  
"Ah... you always say the sweetest things my dear." she heard him fiddling with the teapot.  
  
A vein pulsed in her forehead. The only outward sign of annoyance. She hated playing the insult game with Xellos.  
  
More or less because the outcome was inevitable.  
  
Ultimately he always won. He wasn't really upset by anything she could say about him, and he had a real knack for getting under her skin.  
  
"I refuse to let you needle me Xellos. I'm having far too nice a day to allow it to be ruined by a worthless piece of mazoku filth like you."  
  
"Contrary to what you make think Filia, I don't JUST come here to annoy you."  
  
She opened her eyes to look at him. He was seated in midair across from her, one leg crossed over the other, staff leaning casually against his shoulder (braced off of absolutely nothing that she could discern, as though even the laws of physics were leary of dealing with Xellos) his trickster's mask in full force, mouth hidden behind a teacup. A purple teacup. A particularly tacky purple teacup. A particularly tacky purple teacup with the words, "Kiss Me, I'm Evil" written on it.   
  
Uggh.  
  
"What other reason could you possibly have? Valgaav left a long time ago." it hurt, to admit that. She wondered what he was doing now. Was he one of Xellos' minions? She didn't know. Not since he ran away.  
  
He set the teacup on her table (where it looked glaringly out of place and by its mere presence on her table caused huge amounts of negative energy Filia noted. It would be just like Xellos to master Feng Shui just to make things discordant) and raised a fist counting off a finger.  
  
"Well... one reason is that you have such delightful tea..."  
  
Filia frowned.  
  
Inwardly Xellos sighed. So she wasn't going to fall for that again. Oh well.  
  
"Though bear in mind that I have a tendancy to like food that would kill anyone else."  
  
Filia snorted. "Suprise suprise. Anything else?"  
  
He smiled and started to tick off another reason, then simply raised his finger to his lips. "That is a secret."  
  
She rolled her eyes. Some things never change.  
  
"I will admit I DO have an ulterior motive to visiting you today Filia."   
  
She glared at him.  
  
He smiled.  
  
She sighed. "Well?"  
  
His face became distant and he looked thoughtful. "Lina and Gourry are on the move again. Their daughter's gotten herself into a bit of trouble-"  
  
"Mina's in trouble?!" Filia put down her teacup and gave Xellos her full attention.  
  
"Mina is an Inverse." Xellos gave her a dry look. "They ARE trouble."  
  
"WHAT KIND of trouble Xellos?" Filia gave him a deeply scrutinizing look.  
  
"The Mazoku kind." he replied cheerfully.  
  
"YOUR kind."  
  
"Exactly."  
  
Filia leaned back in her chair and sighed. "So what does this have to do with me?"  
  
Xellos opened his eyes and returned her deeply scrutinizing look. Seeing him like this sent chills down her spine. There was no mistaking the potential for cruelty in his eyes. She stared back defiantly and it was perhaps because of this that she noticed something else.  
  
Fear.  
  
Xellos was afraid of something. The realization shocked her so badly that she looked stunned. Xellos assumed that his look had had the proper effect and continued.  
  
"Simply put, Lina and her gang are going to come to you asking for help."  
  
He steepled his hands together. "I don't want you getting involved. Make up any excuse you have to, but STAY OUT OF THIS. Get involved Filia, and you're going to make me angry."  
  
He smiled sweetly at her. "You don't want to see me angry."  
  
"Are you finished Xellos?" she asked, just as sweetly.  
  
He leaned back (odd, since he wasn't sitting in a chair). "Yes."  
  
She reached under her skirt and drew mace-sama, barrelling over the table (without upsetting a single cup) at mach 7.angry-dragon. Xellos blinked in suprise and ducked under her first swing that had been destined to send a certain purple haired mazoku into a low atmospheric orbit, then another.  
  
Then another.  
  
"HOW!!" Swish! "DARE!" Swat! "YOU!!" smack!  
  
Xellos quickly found himself running away from a very irate dragon girl. She's taking this rather well, he thought to himself.  
  
"Calm down Filia! It's a simple request! You needn't get upset over this!"  
  
"NEEDN'T GET??!! SIMPLE-?!! YOU THREATENED ME IN MY OWN HOME!!"  
  
"We aren't in your home at the moment Filia, and I didn't threaten you exactly. I WILL get angry if you get involved... I was telling the truth. Don't you dragons believe that the truth will set you free?"  
  
"I KNOW A CERTAIN MAZOKU WHO'S GOING TO BE FREE-FALLING IN A SECOND."  
  
"Please?" he asked hopefully from behind a stump (recently created by an errant swing).  
  
"ABSOLUTELY NOT! All you know how to do is destroy and corrupt everything in my life and I'm tired of it! First Valgaav, now MINA? Screw you Xel-"  
  
"I didn't corrupt Valgaav."  
  
"Los... you.... huh?" She paused, blinking confusedly in mid-swing.  
  
"I said, I didn't corrupt Valgaav."  
  
"But... but he ran away..."  
  
"Well... yes, he did. I didn't have anything to do with that. You managed that all on your own."  
  
"But I just assumed..."  
  
"Of course you did. Don't get me wrong Filia. I could have. Very easily. Teenagers who think they've been lied to are very easy to manipulate. Particularly if they trust the party doing the manipulating."  
  
He smiled. "I didn't."  
  
"Why?" she looked at him confusedly, mace-sama still paused in mid swing. Her thoughts became a jumble of confused images... back then...  
  
(Cue the trippy psychedelic flashback wavy lines)  
  
***  
  
When one is white washing a house, wings are a definate advantage. They also had the added advantage of forcing Valgaav to remove his shirt (which can cause fangirl convulsions not unlike epilepsy at 500 feet) which was actually preferable in the hot summer air. Dropping down to ground level (where Filia was working) he dipped his brush into the pot of white paint and turned to his mother.  
  
"Why can't we do this by magic again?" he grinned at her, arms crossed.  
  
Filia turned and looked at him. "Anything worth doing is worth doing right. Besides... doesn't the house look so much nicer with a good coat of fresh paint?"  
  
He smirked. "Your nose looks alot nicer with a fresh coat of paint too."  
  
She blinked, then looked cross-eyed at tip of her nose (which had a daub of paint on it). She frowned. "Dang it... never fails." she chuckled. "I'm glad Xellos isn't here. I'd never hear the end of it."  
  
Valgaav frowned slightly and looked up at the house where he'd spent the last 15 years. After a moment he sneaked a glance in his mother's direction. She was trying to wipe the paint from her nose (and not particularly succeeding).  
  
"Mom?"  
  
"Yes dear?" she asked distractedly.  
  
"How come you and Xellos aren't... you know.."  
  
She stopped suddenly. "Wha... aren't what?"  
  
"Why don't you like Xellos?"  
  
Distracted and somewhat defensive, Filia reacted a bit more harshly then she probably should have. "Xellos! Because he's a Mazoku. He's evil. What other reason do I need?"  
  
Valgaav turned to her quietly. "I'm part Mazoku mother. Does that mean that I'm evil? That you hate me?"  
  
Filia paled. "Of course not! I love you Valgaav!"  
  
"THEN WHY do you hate XELLOS!" he thundered.  
  
She sighed. Here it was. "I know you like him alot Valgaav, but he's not the nice guy you think he is. He's heartless and cruel, and he's killed thousands of dragons just like you and me. He plays games with people and throws them away when he doesn't need them anymore."  
  
"Its NOT true! Xellos is.." Valgaav turned away. "Xellos is the closest thing to a father I've ever known."  
  
"Valgaav... look at me."  
  
Valgaav didn't move.  
  
Filia sighed. It was time for the boy to face the truth. "The only reason Xellos spends so much time with you is because his master probably ordered him to subvert you. Hasn't it ever seemed strange that he only teaches you black magic?"  
  
"Thats not all he's taught me mother. He cares-"  
  
"XELLOS CAN'T CARE!!" she shouted, and Valgaav was stunned at the pain in her voice.  
  
"Xellos can't care about anything Valgaav. Xellos is a Mazoku. They feed off of negative emotions. Hatred. Fear. Anger. Loathing. Thats all they know. Positive emotions hurt them. He CAN'T care about me, or you. Thats just the way it is. Valgaav..."  
she closed her eyes, looking tired. "I didn't want to tell you this, but... the last time you were alive, he was ordered to kill you. I was there. He was going to do it. He WOULD have done it if I hadn't.... er... distracted him."  
  
"I-... It's not true!" Valgaav's face was a mask of pain and betrayal.  
  
Filia simply nodded.  
  
"NO... It's not true... YOU'RE LYING!!"   
  
Her eyes flew open wide in shock. "What?! No... I'm telling you the truth!"  
  
"NO!" He took off, straight for the sky. "YOU HATE ALL MAZOKU!! YOU SAID SO YOURSELF!! MAZOKU CAN'T FEEL. I FEEL MOM! I CARE! XELLOS CAN TOO. I... I DON'T BELIEVE YOU! YOU HATE ME!!"  
  
"Valgaav wait! Valgaav please! You aren't all Mazoku! I don't hate you!" she took dragon form and chased after him, but he was far too fast for her, and he had a head start. She lost him almost immediately.  
  
She never found him again. The house had never felt the same afterwards. She'd confronted Xellos about him, threatened him... tried to force him to tell her what had happened to him.  
  
It had always been a secret.  
  
***  
  
  
"He isn't working for Xellas?" she stared at him hard, barely able to hope... if he was lying...  
  
  
Xellos grinned. "Sadly no. Dear Valgaav is working for a far worse individual. Before you attempt to reduce me to a pulp though, allow me to say that the person he's sworn his loyalty to happens to be a woman you would approve of whole heartedly, much to my disgust. It's going to complicate matters."  
  
She frowned. "Complicate matters? Why can't you just tell me who he's with."  
  
He sighed. "Because you'd try to see him. That would be counterproductive."  
  
She growled. "I hate it when you do this. I hate YOU. You can never just out and say what's going on can you? It always has to be riddles and circles. Well I refuse to play this time. If Lina needs my help... if MINA needs my help, I'm going to to everything I can. You understand me namagomi?"  
  
He sighed. "I knew you were going to say that. I had to try though." He held out his hand and his staff zipped through the air to hand in his palm.   
  
She looked at him in astonishment. "Why?"  
  
He looked at her a moment longer, then shrugged. When he spoke, she had to blink suprisedly, because he sounded a bit angry and introspective at the same time. "For once, Miss Filia... I don't know."  
  
With that rather enigmatic statement, he disappeared, leaving a rather disturbed and confused Dragon girl in his wake.  
  
***  
  
Astral space was a great place for sulking, mainly because no one could see you do it. Xellos had a rather long distance to travel astrally, so he had plenty of time to stew about Filia.  
  
It was beginning to disturb him.  
  
He remembered the first time he had begun to question his lifestyle. How could he not, after that rather disasterous (from his perspective at least) encounter with Filia?  
  
(Cue the crazy psychedelic flashback wavey lines)  
***  
  
The woods shook with something horrendously strong crashing its way through the brush. A great hundreds of years old oak flew several feet over the canopy, crashing thunderously back down only to be followed by its brother, thus forcing bystanders (mostly the little critters of nature) to rethink this to something horrendously strong and PISSED OFF.   
  
Which was, of course, right on the money.   
  
The little critters of nature may be ugly, but they know which way the wind is blowing.  
  
Xellos waited patiently just out of the enraged ancient dragon's senses and waited for just the right mixture of anger, betrayal, and pain to build up. He grinned in anticipation. After all this time, Filia had finally made a mistake. Finally, he'd be able to bring Valgaav back into the fold... back to his proper place as a Mazoku. Xellas would...  
  
He frowned. Xellas would...  
  
A tiny, until now completely silent voice in Xellos chose this moment to speak up.  
  
"She'd do exactly what she did to you all those centuries ago. She'll take him-"  
  
"Who are you-"  
  
"Use him-"  
  
"What are you doing here-"  
  
"Turn him into a perfect little mazoku-"  
  
"Shut up-"  
  
"A perfect little monster-"  
  
"Shut up!"  
  
"Just like you-"  
  
"SHUT UP!"  
  
The voice returned to its slumber, and Xellos gasped, looking down at his staff. He'd worn grooves into the neigh indestructable wood.  
  
What the hell had that been? Some sort of... conscience? How in the hell did that happen? He realized with a start that he didn't particularly want Valgaav to... no... that wasn't right.  
  
He'd rather spend the next thousand years as Xellas' plaything again then wish it upon Valgaav....  
  
...and he DIDN'T know WHY...  
  
In the end, he never appeared before the wayward ancient dragon.  
  
Xellos was learning quickly that sometimes he was just a bit too smart for his own good.  
  
Lina Inverse was having her revenge at last...  
  
***  
  
  
Author's note: For those of you who don't know, Feng Shui (which I may be misspelling) is a chinese art in which one places objects in locations that increase the flow of positive energy in a room or area. Now that thats out of the way, I want to explain a few things. Chapters have been long in coming in the last few months, and this is because I haven't had the time to write as often as I could have wished. I am currently deployed aboard the USS John C. Stennis, a nuclear aircraft carrier currently on its way to points abroad. This is no pleasure cruise however, as I am currently working 12 hour days, 7 days a week. Also, internet and email access is sketchy at best, as the LAN goddess is a fickle bitch.  
  
Not that I'm bitter or anything.  
  
I know that Xellos may seem a bit out of character in this chapter. Believe me, it is entirely intentional, and ALL will be made clear in time. I say this because I'm almost certain to catch hell for it from AA, who is the best font of Slayers Canon I know. She's helped me edit this story (props go out to her) prodigously, and as I said in the beginning, I am attempting to write a story as close to canon as I can. Relax... the writer knows what he's doing.  
  
At least in theory.  
  
Anyway, I more or less wrote this chapter to explain a few things about Valgaav's past, and to work in a bit more Filia/Xellos confrontation, which I felt was sorely missing. It was a chapter which needed to be done, but which does not particularly advance the storyline. I promise big things for the next chapter. I promise.  
  
What's coming up in the next chapter you ask?  
  
Why... dear reader... That, is a secret!  
  
-DT 


	10. A Horror of Lovecraftian Proportions and...

"She's actual size but she seems much bigger to me. Squares may look distant in her rearview mirror, but she's actual size, actual size to me." She's Actual Size, They Might Be Giants  
  
Ever since the creation of man, there has been war. There was war before man, but man, being a naughty species, is the only species that fights for trivial concepts like territory and monetory gain. They are essentially the only species who look upon war as less of a way of proving you are right (by judiciously applying violence) then as a national pastime.   
  
Ever since the creation of war, there has been a class of man known as the professional soldier. These men are known as soldiers because "man who sticks swords into things that scream and bleed for money" doesn't fit nicely on a business card. It is arguable that one could call them professional, but since its rather hard to get in touch with a soldier who has done his job particularly badly in a war, there are some things that must be accepted on faith.   
  
Ever since the creation of the professional soldier, there has been...  
  
The stupid dick joke.  
  
It is painfully obvious when you think about it. Get a large number of very sweaty, bored men (professional soldiers are almost inveritably men, men opinion that this proves the inherant superiority of the male gender, when in actuality it is likely the fact that women are smart enough not to involve themselves in a literally dead end job with a bad hair cut and clothing that is impossible to accessorize with) in the same room with a bunch of weapons and inevitably you will generate copious amounts of testosterone. Testosterone inevitably leads to thoughts of sex , thoughts of sex lead to proving one is more sexually capable then the men around you, and this leads to such statements as "some men are longer then others" and "that sword was bigger then my dick" when in referance to a two handed sword.  
  
"So anyway," the seargent on watch at the Sailoon Palace Gate remarked to his half asleep comrade, " the bartender looks at him suspiciously and says, why are you so happy? You just lost 400 gold pieces! The guy looks at him and says, I just bet those guys over there 500 gold pieces each that I could piss on your bar, on your floor, and on you, and not only would you not get mad, you'd be happy I did-"  
  
He stopped. Large boobies have a tendacy to get that reaction. Especially large boobies headed in your direction.  
  
His companion blinked, still sleepy. The next few seconds would be forever etched in his mind as the single most terrifying noise he'd ever heard.  
  
"OOOOH-HO-HO-HO-HO-HO!"  
  
The seargent, a veteran of numorous campaigns who had weathered terrible magicks and horrors worse then Barbara Streisand lasted precisely 1.2 seconds into that terrible laugh before he collapsed into heap, having fainted dead away when his mind strangled his conciousness into a coma in self defense.  
  
His companion sat down heavily and dropped his spear, blinking stupidly. He remained in this position for the rest of the day, and would respond to questioning with only one word repeated over and over again. Bounce.. bounce... bounce...  
  
Some things are more terrible then war, more horrible then a professional soldier, and more irritating then a stupid dick joke.  
  
The daughter of Naga the White Serpant had come to Sailoon City.  
  
***  
  
".... There is something terribly familar about her..." Lina mused quietly to Gourry, who for his part was staring myoptically at the throne room.   
  
"Hey... you're right... she kinda reminds me of Amelia." Gourry remarked sagely to Lina, looking at the diminutive woman sitting ramrod straight on the throne.  
  
Lina blinked in momentary confusion before looking where Gourry was looking then gave him the requisite slap on the back of his hollow blonde head.  
  
"You jellyfish brain... that IS Amelia. Haven't you been listening to the conversation at all?"  
  
Gourry, chastened (or maybe just attempting to avoid more pain) shut up and listened obediantly.  
  
"As I was saying Miss Lina, I can't send the Sailoon army after Gaav... not even to save poor Mina."  
  
Lina stomped her foot in irritation. "Why the hell not Amelia?"  
  
Amelia put her pointer fingers together and blushed. "Well... first of all, Sailoon doesn't HAVE an army..."  
  
Lina blinked. This was not an answer that she had expected. "Wh... what? What about all gaurds? What are they, chopped liver?"  
  
"Well Miss Lina, thats exactly what they are... gaurds. Defense and policing are the only tasks they are prepared to deal with." she looked proudly up at the portrait of her father on the far wall. Daddy would be soooo proud.   
  
"Sailoon is the kingdom of White Magic. We have no need for an army... we don't have any enemies that can reach us, and all our neighbors have quite binding treaties with us that require they keep only what forces they need for defense."  
  
Lina frowned. This wasn't looking good. "Well... we'll just have to RAISE an army."   
  
"Damn" she thought... "I wouldn't have to DO this if my magic were still here. This really sucks."  
  
"Er... I'm afraid I can't help you with that either. Aside from the treaties we have, I wouldn't raise an army to fight Gaav." she looked down and shuddered. "I wouldn't want to be responsible for so many lives wasted. Without magic, Gaav is unstoppable."  
  
Lina growled. "Then what am I supposed to do Amelia? (causing much gnashing of teeth in the royal gaurd... no one could be so impertinant to the queen, but they were all terrified of the sorcoress, so it was very quiet teeth gnashing) Use harsh language?"  
  
"Fear not Miss Lina! I have the perfect solution." she stood up on her throne (terrifying the nearby courtiers, who startle easier then a politician in a bordello) and pointed her finger triumphantly towards the sky. "I have enlisted the aid of the best bounty hunters in all of Sailoon. These two have brought numorous theives and ne'erdowells to justice, and I have absolute confidence in their pure and righteous hearts! With them and me on your side, we cannot help but prevail against evil!"  
  
"...." retorted a very startled Lina.  
  
The young and exceptionally well endowed woman who until this point had been hiding her features (but not her chest. Nothing can hide her chest.) with a black cloak threw it back to reveal a beautiful scantily clad woman with chestnut hair that ran down to the base of her spine. She crossed her gloved hands together, and let loose with the banshee howl of laughs. Several courtiers failed their saving throws and collapsed into twitching piles. Amelia just winced, well accostomed to her sister's spawn and her noise. Lina turned pale, and Gourry drew his sword, thinking they were under attack.  
  
Xellos was no where to be seen.  
  
Strangely, her companion, a handsome young man with strangely curled green hair in full platemail armor and a ridiculous and strangely familiar battered hat, made no noise at all...  
  
He simply stared at Amelia with a mixture of deference and righteous self assurance.  
  
"I- Hydra, daughter of the White Serpant, greatest sorcery genious of all time, and my companion, Langdelin... Knight Errant of the Holy Order of the Monsterous Zomelgustar, shall bring this pitiful wozzname to justice!"  
  
"...!" Lina remarked.  
  
"..." answered Amelia.  
  
"...?" asked Gourry.  
  
"Wha... what... you... Naga... spawned!!" Lina looked incredulously at the woman, who looked confidently in the still stunned ex-sorceresses direction.  
  
The man next to Hydra turned around and blinked confusedly, then reached into his ears and removed two wads of cotton.  
  
"I beg your forgiveness milady," he asked in a cultured baritone, "wast thou addressing me?"  
  
Gourry blinked. "What did he say? It sounds like words and yet I can't understand it..." he looked from Hydra to Langdelin several times his face growing more and more confused by the second. "Make the scary big-chested woman and the confusing man go away Lina! My head hurts."  
  
Lina slapped her face painfully and groaned. "So does mine..."  
  
***  
  
  
Mina poked the cheery campfire aimlessly with a stick. The scraping, ringing sound of stone on a sword rang, along with occasional ringing noises as her erstwhile companion picked at the occasional nick.  
  
She glanced at him sidelong and sighed, then poked the fire a few more times. The fire was beginning to get upset. Or it would, if it could get anything other then hot.  
  
Red sighed and put the sword down and faced her squarely. "What is it Mina. You obviously won't be happy until you get whatever it is you've been punishing the fire for off your chest."  
  
Mina started, then frowned at him. Finally, in a subdued voice, she asked. "Red..."  
  
He frowned.  
  
"When you find out who you were... what do you plan on doing?"  
  
He raised an eyebrow. then leaned back and sighed. "I haven't really thought about it all that much. I suppose I could make myself up into a bandit king again..."  
  
She clenched her hands hard enough to break the stick.  
  
He grinned. "On second thought, I'd like to be a real king... maybe Sailoon will have an opening while I'm in town."  
  
"RED!!" She started to stand up only to stop in confusion when she saw him silently shaking.  
  
"Ha ha, very funny catapillar brows. You... are joking right?"  
  
He gave her a sarcastic look. "Of course I'm joking. If I was going to be King of something it wouldn't be White Magic." he rolled his eyes. "Honestly... I do have SOME common sense."  
  
Mina shook her head. "Could have fooled me."  
  
He ignored her. "Honestly Mina, I don't know. I'd have to know who... and what I am."  
  
"What you are? What do you mean?"  
  
He frowned. "I don't age. I haven't ever been seriously injured, and as a bandit thats unheard of. Your ridiculously over powered explosion spell caused more damage to my coat Mina."  
  
"Well... I'm not the sorcoress my mother was. Maybe it was weaker then a normal Dragon Slave."  
  
He shrugged. Then he grinned slowly in what might have been considered evil to a casual observer. "What about you Mina... what do you plan on doing when all this is over?"  
  
She tossed her stick in the fire and turned her face away so he wouldn't see her blush. "I..."  
  
He leaned against a tree and crossed his arms behind his head. He looked remarkably handsome when he didn't have that ridiculous yellow coat on.  
  
"I suppose you could tag along with me. You may be pushy and ruled by annoying concepts like morality and law, but you're easy to look at, and..."  
  
"AND?" Mina blinked, hardly believing what she was hearing. Though she wasn't entirely sure she should be complimented by what he just said.  
  
He closed his eyes and grinned softly. "I like you Mina Inverse."  
  
Her jaw dropped and she had to look away, her heart pounding. What was she supposed to think about this? He was bandit! He was a smart ass and... and...  
  
He was intelligent. He was afraid of nothing. He had honor, even if it was an exceptionally warped sense of it. He was..  
  
"Gods help me... she thought to herself. "I... I think I love him."  
  
She turned to him suddenly, uncharacteristically shy and gulped. "I... I like you too Red."  
  
"Red?"  
  
"Red?"  
  
She was met by a sound something between a chainsaw and a large piece of wood being slowly bent under pressure.  
  
Gaav, the Demon Dragon King, The Chaos Dragon, known to her as Red the Bandit King, was blissfully snoring away.  
  
***  
  
In the recently rebuilt Kingdom of Zoana, there are many legends telling of great and terrible beings. One such legend tells of a terrible Orihalcon golem who gaurded the palace of Zoana.  
  
This legend is generally considered to false, since the Palace is now an extremely large crater in which no plantlife will grow.  
  
Another recent legend tells of the possible return of the Natural Enemy of All Who Live, should the kingdom ever attempt to return to it's warlike ways.   
  
Anyone who's seen Lina's handiwork believe in this.  
  
Another more obscure legend tells of the Darkness with the Bloody Eyes.  
  
Supposedly, a being walks the wilds of Zona, a terrible man who might be mazoku, or have made a deal with them. A fearsome apparition who's eyes blaze with a terrible fury that only grows hotter when the blood of his victims is spilled. It has many names depending on the region you ask, The Axeman... the Bloody Eyed Reaper, or simply the Dark.   
  
The terrible legend in question was currently on the move.   
  
Tonight, a small city in Sailoon would learn that nightmares mostly come at night.  
  
Mostly.  
  
***  
  
Bill the farmer stood resolutely in front of his family, his face a mask of determination. Somewhere out in the distance a womans scream rang out with crystal clarity before it was cut suddenly and sickeningly short. His daughter let out a sob of fear and he gripped his pitchfork harder.  
  
"Don't worry honey. Daddy isn't going to let it get you."  
  
For the last hour a terrible something had stalked the small dirt roads of Southtown, slaying anything that came within its reach. Running was futile... it hunted with terrible swiftness and patience, smashing into hiding places stone or otherwise with terrible strength. Weapons bounced off its armor, and the spells of the towns lone wizard hadn't effected the creature at all. No one was more suprised then the wizard.  
  
He didn't remain suprised for very long.  
  
Bill had gathered his family behind him and, using the steeljawed trap that his neighbor occasionally used to trap bears, had prepared to defend his family. He had to succeed.  
  
The alternative was too unbearable to think about.  
  
Suddenly it emerged from the gloom before him, a huge manshape hulk clothed entirely in blackened platemail. The stench of blood and death clung to it like a shroud, and the terrifying horned helmet that crowned its massive trunk revealed only a pair of terrible, burning red eyes.  
  
The horrifying effect was eclipsed only by the terrible axe the creature carried in its massive clutches. It was a weapon crafted not only to kill, but to kill in the most painful and brutal way possible.  
  
Bill paled but stood his ground. "Come on you rusty piece of shite... come get me."  
  
A low and ominous growl that couldn't have come from a human throat errupted and it moved forward. Its foot came down on the trigger for the trap and the massive jaws that could kill or cripple even the great cave bears of Sailoon snapped shut with methodical finality...  
  
The teeth snapped with a ringing sound, and the creature kicked the ruined remains loose with barely a second glance.  
  
Bill backed up a step and looked fearfully towards his wife and child. "Run Lisa! Take Sasha and run! Don't stop!"  
  
The terrified woman scooped the bawling child into her arms and ran for the towns edge, as the Dark took her husband apart with one monsterous slash of its axe.  
  
A flash of silver was the last thing the fear crazed woman saw, then a long, thin blade pierced her throat and the chest of the child she carried. She gurgled once, slipped to her knees, then slid backwards off the blade, the dead child still clutched tightly in her hands.  
  
The new apparition, a cloaked and hooded individual, negligently flicked the blood from his rapier and then made it vanish into his cloak. He leaned nonchalantly against the wall of the farmers house and stared at the creature before him.  
  
It gave him a look reminicent of a child deprived of its candy.  
  
"You almost let them get away from you Dnarc. Honestly, I don't know why I put up with you."  
  
"I would have caught up with them eventually Talon." the creatures voice reminded one of a nail dragged down the blade of an executioner's axe. "The hunt is half the fun."  
  
"Oh I know that... and in the meantime, that pitiful pretender to the throne of the Demon Dragon King could find out who he used to be... and come for us. Need I remind you that this plan will not succeed if you do not strike from suprise?"  
  
Dnarc growled at this. "Tell me again why I must scurry in the shadows like a frightened mouse after this... pretty boy."  
  
Talon sighed. "I don't know why I bother.... you have to hit him when he's not looking. He might be a "pretty boy" but he is the SOUL of the Demon Dragon King. Like it or not, you are just a shard of his power, and a rather pathetic excuse for one at that. Honestly... can't you restrain yourself for a few short weeks?"  
  
The creature slammed its axe into a nearby cottage and the structure flew apart like so much kindling. Talon smiled.  
  
"Temper temper... you'll get to kill him I promise, and when you do, YOU will be the soul of Gaav. If you keep killing everything you come across, word is going to get out." his smile thinned. "If word gets out, it might reach HIM." his smile disappeared, and his eyes glowed red. "If he finds out your coming for him, he'll be ready for you, and you, my dear monstrousity, will be as dead as the Hellmaster. Just to remind you, the Hellmaster isn't just deceased, he's nothing. I don't think you'd like that."  
  
Dnarc growled, but restrained himself.  
  
"Now my friend, run along, find our would be Chaos Dragon and follow him until you get somewhere nice and quiet where there won't be any interferance. Do try and keep a low profile."  
  
Dnarc turned and began to stalk away, still growling softly.  
  
"Oh and Dnarc... if you think after you have absorbed this pathetic bandit king that you will be powerful enough to come after me just remember what happened.... the last time."  
  
Dnarc ceased his growling and looked sullenly to the horizon.  
  
Unconciously, he rubbed his hand over his breastplate, and remembered the terrible scars that Talon had given him.  
  
There were some things that even the Bloody Eyed Darkness feared.  
  
*** 


	11. The Dragon, The Knight, and THE ALBUM: W...

"Clowns to the left of me, Jokers to the right here I am, stuck in the middle with you." - Steve Miller Band, Stuck in the middle  
  
Mazoku do not dream. This is a rather elementary fact, since Mazoku do not sleep. What need does a creature that does not exist on our plane need for sleep after all? The Mazoku, beings of purely negative astral energy, have no real need for any of the trappings that fetter mortality from birth to death. This is both a blessing and a curse. A Mazoku can drink any normal mortal under the table, since they are only dumping whatever they drink into the infinite void of astral space. However, they cannot become drunk. This causes alot of problems at the millenial Dragon/Mazoku mixer, which has forever banned the usage of alcohol, and which the Dragons still refuse to acknowledge ever happened, but which may have been the direct cause for the War of the Monster's Fall.  
  
Have you ever seen a hung over dragon?   
  
Red may indeed have been mazoku, but having a physical body he therefor had to have a hand in its upkeep and maintainance, lest he find himself in a deplorable state (like rigor mortis) of being.   
  
To put it another way, Red may have been Mazoku, but he alone among the Mazoku dreamt.  
  
***  
  
He grinned confidently and took in his enemies scattered about the battlefield. The blonde man was crumpled at the base of the rockface where he'd impacted, Gourunova flickering out like a match in the wind. The man of rock lie prone in a puddle of his own blood, the annoying little brat he'd saved from death staring at his blood on her hands. Interesting image that. Might have to keep that in mind... it would make an exquisite painting one day. He chuckled quietly to himself about the irony of a Dark Lord who enjoyed painting. A Mazoku creating... how deliciously blasphemous.  
  
He smiled.  
  
"It doesn't matter how just you are.. in the face of overwhelming power, you are helpless."   
  
He let loose a terrifying laugh and began to gather his power, to obliterate them all. This had been fun, and he was somewhat saddened that he could not let them live... they had put up a valiant effort, and they were only trying to survive, just like him. Still... they'd defied him, and were deeply involved in Hellmaster's plans, and frankly, it was either him or them.  
  
It really wasn't a choice at all.  
  
A voice cut into his concentration, and he looked up, momentarily suprised at the power he heard in that tiny voice.  
  
Mina Inverse was advancing on him, power gathering in her hands.  
  
No... thats not right... this was not Mina... Mina wouldn't... this was...  
  
He narrowed his eyes and gripped his sword in both hands, shifting to a gaurd stance.   
  
"Sword of cold and darkness, free thyself from the heaven's bonds."  
  
"The power of the Lord of Nightmares huh?" How... did he know this?  
  
"Become one with my body, one with my power, and let us walk the path of destruction together."  
  
"Come on!" he growled, his muscles relaxed, preparing for the coming strike.  
  
"Power that can smash even the souls of gods. RAGNA BLADE!"  
  
A immense, corruscating blade of pure darkness formed in her hands, dwarfing her several times. She hesitated, took a deep breath, and then charged.  
  
"Yaaaaaahhhh!" she screamed and then leapt into the sky, that impossible blade of nothingness held high.  
  
"SWORD OF DARKNESS!"  
  
He leapted into the air with her, bringing his massive blade up to parry her downward stroke, outwardly laughing, inwardly...   
  
Inwardly he rebeled against this. One of them was going to die.  
  
The blades met, and then her sword cleaved his like butter, a terrible shrieking agony lit his chest, a pain more terrible then he'd ever known, his very being boiling off into chaos. He gripped her arms and stared disbelievingly into her eyes, betrayal and grief marking his stunned visage.  
  
Her eyes held no sadness or pity.  
  
They held only determination, and anger.  
  
No remorse.  
  
He screamed out his torment as he fell like an angel cast out of heaven, burning both inside and out.  
  
***  
  
His eyes opened with a start. Only iron determination prevented him from jerking up in shock. For a moment, he could not remember where he was, then his eyes fell upon the smoky remains of the previous night's camp fire. Something warm and soft murmured into his side, and he tensed for a moment before looking down.   
His gaze lit upon a mess of bright red hair, and he stared in confusion for a few moments, caught up in the terrible images from his dream... what had it been? A possible future? The long dead past? He wasn't sure, but it all seemed very familiar to him. Soon... soon he would know what his place in the world was. All this time he had walked through this life, not knowing, his size and his attitude setting him apart from everyone else, even time avoided him it seemed. Surely there was a reason...  
  
He looked down again at the sleeping girl at his side. At some point during the night, she had crept closer though he was at a loss to understand why. More importantly, he hadn't awakened when she touched him, she was so familiar to him.  
  
Without really intending it, this stubborn, immensely intelligent and powerful, yet strangely innocent girl had become an intimate part of his life. He had very few things that remained constant over the years, even when he'd ruled over the Black Hills Bandit Gang, he'd never really known any of his subjects. They'd been a mob really. His mob, undoubtedly, but a mob none-the-less. A mob of strangers linked by one overwhelming ideal.  
  
Greed.  
  
Yet he'd taken no pleasure in the wealth he'd plundered. It had simply seemed a byproduct. The inevitable result of what was really important.  
  
Conquest.  
  
Yet even that had paled with time. Ultimately he'd become bored with it, stuck in a rut... the same old thing.  
  
Why then did this girl hold such facination for him? He had to admit, he'd not been bored once since his journey, though often he'd been infuriated, irritated, or just...  
  
They fought almost constantly, but there was a sense of... closeness to their bickering... their arguments were comfortable... like the weight of the sword at his side.  
  
He slowly put his arm around her protectively and gripped his sword still in its sheath at his other side. He did not know what the future held, but he could sense a malevolence gathering about him, and a tension winding tighter and tighter within.   
  
Frowning in determination, he stared out into the nearly impenetrable grey fog of dawn, the mists of destiny mirrored by the early morning haze... the weapon he entrusted his life to at one side...  
  
The woman who had captured his heart at the other.  
  
***  
  
"Explain to me again how these two are going to help us fight against Gaav, Amelia." Lina, whose patience had long since run out, was glaring death at the diminutive monarch, who for her part looked hopelessly at the two in question.  
  
It had been this way for days. Langdelin... well... Sir Langdelin had been engrossed in what he called his "holy duty" to convert Gourry to the worship of the noble monstrous Zomelgustar. How exactly the Great God Zomelgustar could be both noble and monstrous was something of a mystery, but the young knight's zeal and conviction far outweighed any logical fallacy he might be generating.  
  
His unfortunate target's resolve against converting was bolstered by the fact that he could only understand about one word in five of the vehemant young man's speech, and what he could understand made less impression on his mind then a bird dropping would make on the Chrysler building. He salved both the Knight's feelings and absolved his own guilt at letting the boy ramble on by simply smiling and nodding occasionally; a tactic which served him well through the many confrontations he'd had with his wife over the years. Unfortunately in this case, the tactic made Langdelin assume that he was getting through at least somewhat to the older warrior, and made him redouble his efforts to convince him of the rightness of his cause. The end result was that Langdelin had basically been talking nonstop for the last 3 days, pausing occasionally for such unavoidable nuisances like breathing, eating, and plugging his ears when ever his companion let loose with her assault upon the ears and sanity of any who might happen to be within earshot.  
  
For her part, Hydra merely tried to unsuccessfully gain the attention of her fellow travelling companions with tales of her past conquests (which Lina was convinced had all been successful because the victims no longer wished to hear that hideous laughter) and generally extolling upon her own virtues. Lina had given up thoughts of suicide in favor of just putting the young Hydra out of everyone's misery.   
  
"H-how much farther is it to Filia's cottage Miss Lina?" Amelia interjected, hoping to forstall the coming storm.  
  
This was not a tactic likely to work.  
  
"Oh... I'd say about 300 years... excuse me... I was talking in relative terms. About 3 days."  
  
"Oh I don't think its going to be all that long Lina." Gourry interjected, casually scratching his head.  
  
"Oh really jellyfish brain... and why is that?" Lina growled, this last bit of idiocy pushing her close to the edge.  
  
"Oh... because she's right there." he pointed offhandedly at the speck he'd been watching grow ever larger by the minute.  
  
Lina blinked, then goggled at the sight of a golden dragon moving at full speed towards their party. Amelia smiled happily at the thought of seeing one of her friends again. Gourry waved cheerfully, and Hydra looked somewhat confused.  
  
Langdelin smiled grimly.   
  
"GOD'S BLOOD! THE DEMON HATH SENT ONE OF HIS MINIONS TO THE FIELD OF WAR!" he kicked his horse into a startled gallop and flew like a demented arrow loosed by an equally demented archer towards the large set of bushes the golden dragon had landed behind.  
  
"No! Langdelin! That's a-" Lina let out a startled cry just a bit too late... any words she may have said were drowned out by the trumpeting warcry the rapturous Paladin let loose with. He charged into the bushes waving his sword around in arcs that threatened to decapitate his unfortunate mount.  
  
"Oh... my..." Xellos giggled to himself, covering one eye with his white gloved hand.  
  
Lina stared at him in shock... when the hell had Xellos gotten here?  
  
A faint glow emanated from the thick set of bushes, followed by a confused man's voice.  
  
"Your pardon milady... hast thou seen an evil dragon pass by this- dear Zomelgustar! Where are your cloth-"  
  
A startled, outraged shriek filled the air, followed by a resounding crash that shook the ground.  
  
"HEEEEENNNNNTAAAAAIII!!"  
  
The cover of bushes suddenly exploded skyward as a north bound flight 001 Langdelin express made its maiden voyage towards points unknown, trailing leaves in his wake.  
  
The horse wandered out with what appeared to be a smug look on its equine face, followed by a deeply blushing dragon priestess carrying a large mace over one shoulder and her cloak over the other.  
  
"One word from any of you... and you'll be joining that.... that..."  
  
"Calm down Filia... none of us saw anything... you just clobbered one of the people who are helping us. What... ARE you doing here anyway."  
  
Xellos cleared his throat. "I... appraised her of the situation. I figured it would save us some time."  
  
Lina turned on the grinning trickster. "You... you mean we came all this way for NOTHING?"  
  
"Oh my... I must have neglected to tell all of you. Was that wrong of me?"  
  
"XELLOS!!!" Filia thundered, ready to refute the claim that she'd gone ANYWHERE at Xellos' prompting.  
  
"Why Miss Filia, I had no IDEA you were a natural blonde!" Xellos opened his eyes and gave her a decidedly lecherous look.  
  
Any thought she might have had of refuting anything other then Xellos' right for continued existence was immediately shoved out of her head.  
  
In the ensuing chaos, Lina dazedly realized from the amount of damage being done to the surrounding landscape, that if they could harness THIS kind of illwill and use it against the Chaos dragon...  
  
"Gaav wasn't going to have a CHANCE." she mused outloud as she ducked a blast of Filia's Laserbreath (tm).  
  
***  
  
A thunderous sneeze woke Mina out of her peaceful sleep. She yawned and stretched lazily. She didn't particularly want to wake up... she'd had... well... she blushed faintly... very vivid dreams for some reason.  
  
She looked over at Red, who stared off into space suspiciously.  
  
"You ok? You aren't coming down with something are you?"  
  
"Mina, I've never been sick a day in my life... parts that I don't remember excluded of course."  
  
Mina shrugged. "Happens to everyone eventually. I wouldn't worry too much about it... we..."  
  
She stopped and frowned to herself. Her own feelings aside, she had to remember that she had no idea what the meeting between her mother and Red was going to go. She might... she might have to choose sides.  
  
"We what Mina?" he asked her curiously, putting on his overcoat and attaching his sword to his belt.  
  
"Er.." she supposed there was no way to avoid it... she just had to hope for the best and deal with whatever happened when it happened. "Mom lives just a few miles from here.."  
  
He frowned irritably. "Why didn't you say so? We could have gotten there last night."  
  
"I didn't say so because I was tired ok?" she snapped defensively. "I didn't really want to deal with... with whatever comes of you meeting mom when I could barely keep my eyes open."  
  
"I gave you my word I wouldn't harm your mother. Do you still doubt-"  
  
"I'm not worried about you hurting mom..." Mina looked in the direction of the town where she'd grown up, frowning thoughtfully. "What she's going to do to you... THAT'S what I'm worried about."  
  
Red arched his brow in suprise.  
  
***  
  
"Your mother is a powerful sorceress right?"  
  
"Well... she used to be the best. She's retired now. Why?"  
  
Red scratched his chin thoughtfully, staring at the plain wooden door with a small plaque that read simply "Gabriev Residence". "I don't know... I guess I just expected something more grand... less..."  
  
"Suburban?" Mina remarked.   
  
"Uh... yeah."  
  
She sighed. "Mom and Dad weren't really the best as far as saving money. With their appetite, they had to keep adventuring just to keep their plates full. After mom... quit being a sorceress, she started teaching magic, and dad became a gaurd. We weren't rich, but I never wanted for anything."  
  
She turned to Red and fixed him with a withering glare. "Now you be on your best behavior. No rude comments, no threats and for L-sama's sake, NO MORAL DISCUSSIONS. You hear me?"  
  
Red blinked, then gave her a decidely evil grin. It was a grin that said, "I'll humor you because you're cute, not because I'm particularly afraid of your wrath."  
  
She sighed. "Somehow your expression doesn't fill me with confidence."  
  
Turning resignedly, she knocked loudly on the door, then waited, dreading the expression on her mother's face when she answered the door.   
  
Silence.  
  
She knocked again.  
  
More of the same.  
  
She gave Red a confused look. Her mother hadn't travelled more then a few miles from her home in the entire time Mina had known her. Red frowned, then knocked hard enough to shake the whole building.  
  
Mina winced. The metal plaque was now looking distinctly the worse for wear. Mom was going to have a fit.  
  
Still no answer.  
  
A shrill voice called out from a nearby fence.  
  
"What's all that racket! Honestly, salesmen these days... no sense of propriet- Why bless my soul... Mina dear! I haven't seen you since you and your mother had that little tiff and you ran off! With a man no less... hrrrm... he's a big one ain't he?"  
  
Mina and Red turned to see a blue haired old lady with glasses that were about 3 sizes too large for her tiny wrinkled body, let alone her wizened face. She waddled up while stroking a cat that looked like it definately wanted to be elsewhere, as well as rid of the hideous red ribbon tied around its neck.  
  
"Who the hell is this Mina?" Red whispered.  
  
Mina for her part, smiled widely and embraced the old lady (much to the cat's annoyance) who patted her arm and gestured to Red without a second glance at his monsterous size.  
  
"Mrs. Fenwick! I haven't seen you in forever!"  
  
"Come deary... come... lets go inside... I've got a pot of tea on (this was hardly a coincidence... little old ladies ALWAYS have a pot of tea on... it may be the secret to their longevity) we can have ourselves a nice little chat. Bring your little friend along."  
  
Red gave the old lady one of Gaav's patented "confused mazoku lord" looks. Little? Chat?  
  
"I don't know Mrs. Fenwick... I really need to find mom... do you know where she is?"  
  
"Now now... there's always time for a little tea. We can talk about that in a little while afterwards."  
  
"Now see here..." Red started. "We really don't have time for this! We need to..." he droned off, blinking rapidly.  
  
The old woman had given him a myoptic yet strangely terrifying glare. The cat leapt out of her arms and retreated for higher ground. The air seemed both too thick and far too thin at the same time. He could swear he heard lightning striking in the distance.   
  
"I said, there's always time for tea young man." she intoned, in words that could not possibly be refuted. If they had been written, they could only have been done with a chisel, a hammer, and a large amount of stone.  
  
Red looked like he was about to say something when Mina kicked him as hard as she could in the shin. He shut up momentarily and gave her a hard look, but Mina shooshed him with a glare.  
  
"Of course we've got time for tea Mrs. Fenwick. We'd be happy to share a cup."  
  
Mrs. Fenwick beamed, and the aura of destruction was gone like it had never existed. The cat peeked around the corner to see if the large man was a large soot spot on the ground and was somewhat disappointed to find him still in one piece. He was being led reluctantly into the house by Mina as she followed the old lady who terrorized its existence. For her part, Mrs. Fenwick nattered on about the weather and the state of her health and other nonsense that was important to these two legged food providers.  
  
Red gave the feline a stricken look, as though he were being lead into a trap.  
  
The cat could sympathize, and so immediately did what a sympathetic cat does and began to wash itself unconcernedly.  
  
***  
  
"Here you go young man." Mrs. Fenwick beamed and handed Red a small tasteful teacup on a plain white saucer. He took it carefully in one palm and tried to figure out how the hell he was supposed to drink from something he could easily crush between thumb and forefinger.  
  
"Er... thank you Mrs. Fenwick."  
  
She blushed. "Oh aren't you such a nice boy. How's your tea Mina dear?"  
  
"Wonderful Mrs. Fenwick... so where is mom and dad?"  
  
Mrs. Fenwick continued on as though she hadn't heard her. Mina sighed, then nearly spat her tea out into Red's face as Mrs. Fenwick produced, THE ALBUM.  
  
"Oh you really MUST see this young man. Mina was such a precious little girl... I had these pictures done up by an honest to gods sorceror, being such a close friend of the family and all... I'll admit it was alot like watching my own grandchild grow up." she sighed.  
  
"Really..." Red leaned across the table and stared into THE ALBUM. Mina choked on her tea, then shrank down into her chair, wishing she could just disappear off the face of the planet.  
  
Red stared into THE ALBUM with a straight face... the only indication of the things he saw contained within a slight widening of the eyes as each picture passed by. It didn't help that Mrs. Fenwick had taken up a running commentary on each picture.  
  
"Oh... isn't this precious... this is when she was 4 years old... she was pretending she was a sorceress fighting off bandits, but she all she could find was an old towel for a cape... so she goes running around outside..."  
  
"I see."  
  
"Oh, and THIS is when she was 6. Mina loved the rain and she used to run around completely naked... doesn't she have the cutest little bottom?"  
  
"She most certainly does."  
  
"Oh and THIS is right after..."  
  
Mina snatched THE ALBUM from Mrs. Fenwick's stunned grasp and clutched it to her chest in a death grip that would have required a tractor to loose.  
  
"I don't think we need to see anymore of these old photos Mrs. Fenwick."  
  
"Oh I don't know Mina... you were a very... photogenic child." Red gave her a wide and decidely lecherous grin.  
  
Mina glared death at him, the effect somewhat ruined by the fact that she was also blushing redder then an extremely fat man after a hard workout. Pre-heart attack of course.  
  
  
"Mrs. Fenwick... I appreciate the tea, but we really must find my mother... its a matter of life and death."  
  
Red rolled his eyes. "Oh... NOW its a matter of life or death."  
  
Mina glared at him. Then hissed through clenched teeth. "It will be in a second if you don't shut up."  
  
Mrs. Fenwick grinned. "Oh how cute... Mina's all embarassed... my you've certainly grown up into a fine young woman."  
  
She sighed. "I don't know where your mother ran off to... though she was in a big hurry. She asked me to look after the rosebushes... they are sooo pretty this time of year don't you think..."  
  
Mina gave Red a defeated look. Red frowned, then looked thoughtful.  
  
"I don't suppose she said when she'd get back did she?"  
  
"No... I'm sorry dear... you could stay here for a while... I could air out the guest room I suppose..."  
  
"No thats all right Mrs. Fenwick!" Red and Mina looked at each other after their impromptu chorus. Then looked at Mrs. Fenwick and grinned apologetically.  
  
"Well if you're sure..." she didn't sound convinced.  
  
Then she brightened up. "Maybe she went to go visit that nice chimera boy... I do wish he'd visit at least once... he was so well mannered and polite...."  
  
"Chimera?" Mina frowned. "You mean Uncle Zelgadis? I haven't seen him since I was a little girl."  
  
"My how time DOES fly... it doesn't seem too long ago you were trying to extort money out of the local youth gangs-"  
  
Mina slapped her forehead and shook her head dismally.  
  
"Heh... now why does THAT sound familiar..." Red mused, rolling his eyes.  
  
Mina looked up suddenly. "Wait... I've got it... Zelgadis used to be a travelling companion of my mother's. If ANYONE would know who you were besides my mother, it would be him."  
  
Red looked thoughtful. "Hmm... the name sounds vaguely familiar... describe him..."  
  
Mina frowned. "It was a long time ago... but I remember he used to wear a grey cloak where ever he'd go... he's got stony skin, and metal hair, but he's not ugly... he was actually kinda handsome, in an exotic sort of way."  
  
Red's eyes widened. The man made of stone! Another piece of the puzzle! There could be no doubt... this Zelgadis was the key to his past.  
  
Seeing Red's reaction Mina smiled. "Well then... it's settled. All we have to do is find Zelgadis Greyweirs."  
  
"So where is this Zelgadis?" Red mused.  
  
Mina sighed. "Thats the problem... he's kinda reclusive. Mom used to visit him from time to time, but she never told me where they-"  
  
Mrs. Fenwick beamed. "If you're looking for that nice Chimera boy, you can do me a favor and bring him some of this. He took a liking to my special blend of tea, and I make it a point to send him a package of it every year."  
  
Mina and Red stared at Mrs. Fenwick like she'd grown a second head.  
  
"Don't look at me like that... the Sailoon postal service is really quite efficient. Mr. Greyweirs lives in the Katatoe mountains. He really should get out more... a young elegable bachelor like him puttering around in the mountains all by himself... its not healthy I tell you."  
  
Red and Mina looked at each other dubiously. Mrs. Fenwick was a nice old woman, but she had a habit of beating reality (and the occasional travelling salesman) with a large knobby stick until it conformed to her very narrow view of things.   
  
"Er... sure Mrs. Fenwick... we'd be happy to take Zelgadis some of your tea." Mina stammered, scratching her head. For his part, Red just looked resigned... this woman was scarier then anything he'd ever seen before.  
  
Red frowned. "The Katatoe Mountains huh? I wonder whats going to get in our way THIS time."  
  
Mina started to argue with him... then simply sighed and looked resigned as well. There was no point in arguing with him.  
  
Fate just seemed to be working against them...  
  
Or at least, a certain individual - who shall not be named - who has stolen Fate's ID badge.  
  
*** 


	12. For Those About To Rock

"There's a house that's cold as ice, through a vault that's made of stone, all the years the walls got higher, all the years the walls have grown. Is there anybody in there? In this self inflicted tomb? If you peel away the layers, is there someone in this room? If you peel away the skin?" -Oingo Boingo, Skin  
  
In order to get a proper perspective on a place, without actually having been there one's self, it is sometimes necessary to consult the proper literary authorities. The tourism board of Sailoon has the following to say about the Katatoe Mountains, one of the stops in it's "Magical Tour of Sailoon" (LTD) brochure:  
  
"A scenic mountain vista, where one can meander through the natural stone labyrinths, and visit the quaint and rustic mountain village of Katatoe."  
  
This is somewhat revised from previous brochures, which made sure to include bits about the large number of dragons in the region. Suprisingly, the brochure is not all that far off from the truth. The Katatoes are undoubtedly mountains, and do provide such scenic and soulmoving views as, "That Big Lump of Rock Over There" and "Miles and Miles of Unidentifable Trees of a Conifer Variety" to name a few.  
  
One can also meander through the labyrinths as well, though it should be noted that meandering in this case is just another way of saying wandering aimlessly through the most confusing puzzle ever discovered since the invention of the Rubik's Cube.  
  
The town is indeed "quaint and rustic". The towns folk are so "quaint" and "rustic" as to follow the time honored tradition of not bathing unless one happens to be caught out in the rain. The town of Katatoe is entirely inhabited by people who entered the labyrinth, and then couldn't find their way back out of it. Any one with any intelligence leaves the town as soon as they are able, so only the shallows and occasionally whatever gunk that gets caught in the filter of the gene pool ends up there permanently, thus lending credence to the fact that while nature may abhor a vacuum, she is not above stuffing embarassments in a convieniently hidden niche in order to fill said vacuum.  
  
The dragons, the only majestic and compelling reason (one can't argue that dragons are both majestic and compelling, particularly with the dragons themselves. If one does not respect the majesty of a dragon, one will rapidly find a compelling reason to be elsewhere) to explore the Katatoe Mountains, disappeared some ten years ago and have not been sighted since.   
  
So with things as they are, one can say that sales in "I traversed the Katatoe Mountains and all I got was this stupid tunic" tunics have declined noticably.  
  
Not to mention that according to local superstition (or stupidstition, depending on who you ask) a vengeful ghost haunts the Katatoe Mountain valley...  
  
***  
  
The "vengeful ghost" in question awoke blearily in what had become his routine fashion; with a stiff neck and aching back from falling asleep over his desk. Not that it could be called a desk other then the fact that it had four legs of approximately the same length, an essentially flat surface, and provided a relatively stable place to put items... interior decoration is somewhat hard to do when the major resources one has to work with are stone and wood in its upright, leafy form. Zelgadis was an extremely resourceful individual however, and he had managed (with some small difficulty) to put together a functioning work bench that also served as a coffee table, desk, and occasional bed. he actually was in possession of a mattress, since the local natives (who almost all answer to the name Bill or Bob in one form or another... even the females) left him large amounts of their only valuable resource (sheeps wool, sheep being the only animal aside from the locals themselves to find itself trapped in the labyrinth) in an effort to appease the "vengeful ghost".  
  
At the moment, the only thing vengeful about Zelgadis was his hair.  
  
Brushing the tangled mess irritably out of his face, (Zelgadis did not spend an overly large amount of time styling his hair these days, he didn't have anyone to impress, and he had nothing to worry about as far as hair damage went, save the occasional outbreak of rust) Zelgadis stretched and yawned, then put his hand down hard on something that somehow managed to squeak and rattle at the same time. Blinking, Zelgadis looked down to see a perfectly proportioned, 6 and 3/8ths inch tall woman with little black antennae and gauzy dragonfly-like wings fluttering in distress as she tried to maintain balance holding up a full teacup and saucer (easily bigger then she was) and the weight of Zelgadis' hand at the same time. Managing a shaky smile, she looked up at Zelgadis brightly.  
  
"GOOD morning Master Zelgadis! I thought you might like some tea before breakfast..."  
  
Zelgadis lifted the tea cup and saucer away from the beleaguered pixie and approximated something between a grunt of affirmation and apology. Zelgadis was a well mannered and cultured individual but he could never be considered a morning person.  
  
Even in the afternoon.  
  
The pixie waited patiently with her hands crossed behind her back, beaming sunnily up at him the whole while. One got the impression that Zelgadis did not bother to put sugar in his tea... the little woman was saccharine enough.  
  
After he had ingested enough of Mrs. Fenwick's wicked brew (Mrs. Fenwick's tea contains little to no caffeine, it is simply so awfully strong that it offends the senses into wakefulness in much the same manner that a swift kick to the genitals will offend one's sensibilities) to become coherant enough to utilize higher brain functions, he spoke.  
  
"Sorry about that Pix... I didn't see you there. Good... er tea."  
  
She blushed a delicate pink and beamed up at him. "Oh that's perfectly alright Master Zelgadis... I'm SO glad you like the tea."  
  
"Pix..." he sighed. "We've been over this... you don't have to call me Master."  
  
If the irrepressable pixie heard him, she gave no sign. "I know I don't HAVE to master. I choose to."  
  
Zel frowned. He'd spent a large portion of his life beholden to Rezo, and as such he had a very dim view of dependancy. While the circumstances by which Pix had come into his life could not be considered normal in any sense of the word, the diminutive creature WAS dependant upon him. The highly caustic tea percolated memories in his mind's eye, and he found himself in a far away place 5 years ago, following the quest that had driven him for most of his adult life...  
  
  
  
***  
  
The laboratory was dark, cold, and covered completely in a light patina of dust. Not for the first time, Zelgadis cursed his grandfather's habit of creating a scattering of magical laboratories all over the world and fully stocking them with magical traps and monsters. The last few labs had yielded little that would help him in his quest, though he had picked up an ingenious method of trapping a corridor with a large slab of stone and a pivoting-  
  
He shook his head, this was not what he was here for.   
  
A slight variation in the border between two of the great stone blocks that made up the walls of the corridor he was currently pushing his way down caught his attention. bringing his light spell closer, he ran a stony finger down the crack, then leaned his ear up against the block and rapped lightly on it. Frowning slightly, he moved over a few inches, then repeated the action. A hard, satisfied little grin graced his features and he pushed hard against the left side of the block. The panel pivoted on its central pillar, revealing a dark maw of a tunnel with a nearly indetectable downward slope. A damp, moldering smell assaulted his nostrils, and he cautiously pushed his way down the roughly hewn tunnel, his light spell hovering peacefully over his open palm like a tiny star. He continued down into the depths, the light making a little bubble of visibility and throwing strange, distorted shadows on the walls. After travelling down the nearly unvaried course of the tunnel, seeing only the path he'd walked behind him, and unchanging darkness in front, only his well honed sense of direction assured him that he was moving forward at all. The atmosphere of the place was a cloying mixture of emptiness and gloom, and it might have been unnerving, had Zelgadis been inclined toward such reactions.  
  
He was not. He had, after all, made a travelling companion of Lina Inverse. Very little seems strange or unsettling after being with her. Sitting through a single meal with her was enough.  
  
Just as Zelgadis was beginning to wonder if perhaps Rezo had put some sort of magical trap in this hidden passage, the tunnel abruptly widened into a well constructed room with several bookshelves lining the cold stone walls. Interspaced between the bookcases were several sconces which contained unlit torches. Zelgadis puzzled over these for a few moments...  
  
Then the light spell went out.  
  
Frowning slightly, Zelgadis intoned the words to another light spell.  
  
"LIGHTING!"  
  
A globe of light once again illuminated the room-  
  
-and just as quickly, extinguished itself.  
  
Frowning irritably in the darkness, Zel prepared to cast the spell again when a faint sound reached his sensitive ears... he stopped in puzzlement listening carefully...  
  
It sounded...  
  
It sounded like...   
  
BREATHING.  
  
Drawing his sword, he squinted into the darkness...  
  
"ASTRAL VINE!"  
  
The room was thrown into a bloody glare as magic infused his blade, turning it a brilliant crimson. He scanned the room intently, searching for the source of the rasping breath he had heard-  
  
-his sword flickered slightly, then died.  
  
"What the?!" Zelgadis asked intelligently.  
  
A very faint, almost unnoticable voice entreated him.  
  
"...help... me... master."  
  
"Who are you? Show yourself!" he thundered, casting about for the source of the quiet plea.  
  
Only silence greeted him.  
  
Scowling silently to himself, he patted his person for a piece of flint, or a stone... what ever going on, it seemed to feed off of magic, making any lighting spells useless... he needed...  
  
He stopped momentarily, blinked, then slapped his forehead.  
  
Right. Stone.  
  
The clicking sound of steel striking stone intermixed with a small spark in the darkness until finally the room blossomed into visibility as Zelgadis held a now merrily burning torch, and a slightly embarassed look on his face. Conducting an extensive search of the room revealed only what he'd seen upon first entering, walls of books, a few unlit torches... he scratched his head in puzzlement, then froze and looked up.  
  
Hanging from what appeared to be an iron chain, a few feet from the rather high ceiling, sat a cage.  
  
A very... small cage.  
  
Again he heard a small, weak voice desperately whisper from inside the cage.  
  
"Please.... help... me..."  
  
Zel frowned... this COULD be a trick of some sort...  
  
Then shrugged. What could it possibly be? A monsterous canary? Setting the burning torch back into its holder, he returned to the center of the room. Bracing himself he leaped from the floor. A quick flash of firelight off steel, the snick of a sword passing unbelievably fast through a thick iron chain and then back into a sheath, and Zelgadis found himself standing in the center of the room with a golden cage resting in his arms staring intently into it. A small pair of beautiful violet eyes stared back him. The eyes were set into a tiny, beautiful face framed by blond hair, with two little black antennae hanging limply from a pale forehead. She stared at him from the bottom of the cage, having barely the strengh to lift her head. She was perfect. She was beautiful.  
  
She was about 6 inches tall.  
  
"What... ARE you?" he asked wonderingly... he'd never encountered anything like her in all of his travels.  
  
She opened her mouth, shuddered slightly, then closed her eyes and sank fully to the floor.  
  
Alarmed he frowned, casting about for something, anything...  
  
Something clicked in his mind. The voice hadn't started until his magic had disappeared... the torches... Rezo had built most of his laboratories with magical lighting... why would he stock this one with torches?  
  
Unless something in it fed off of MAGIC.  
  
Setting the cage on the floor, he backed up a bit, then focused his concentration.  
  
"RAAA... TILT!"  
  
A storm of bluish. crackling astral energy tore across the ground, struck the cage...  
  
Then disappeared suddenly with a slightly confused FZZT!  
  
Walking over to the cage, he lifted it up by what was left of the iron chain and stared concernedly inside.  
  
The occupant of the cage came up to a sitting position, stretched lazily (causing Zelgadis to avert his eyes slightly... for a very very small woman she was... well... very well proportioned) yawned, then looked at him brightly.  
  
"That was delicious! Got anymore... Master?"  
  
***  
  
So it was that Zelgadis found himself a companion... of sorts. Since the events with Dark Star, Zelgadis had gone on with his original plan for finding his cure; go to the source itself. Rezo was a meticulous man, and in his quest for sight he had explored a wide variety of magical research and documented it all. It stood to reason that Zelgadis had been a byproduct of some strange branch of Rezo's explorations into magical theory, and the man had documented every step on his quest for magical knowledge. The problem was that Rezo was also a very secretive man who traveled extensively, he had caches and storehouses of magical research hidden all over the lands he'd traveled. Tracking them down was something of a difficult prospect, but one that Zelgadis was sure would lead him to the clues he needed to reverse the Red Priest's terrible spell.   
  
What it had led him to instead was Pix.  
  
Zelgadis had been able to piece together what Pix had been originally intended for. The little creature fed off of and stored magical energy, any magical energy, white, black AND shamanistic. The usefulness of a magical battery was immediately apparent... what Zelgadis had never been able to reason out was why the Red Priest had crafted it into a living magical artifact. He chalked it down to another of the many quirks evident in a man obsessed with magic. Perhaps it was the cruel streak within him... a little bit of Shabranigdo coming to the surface that he should create a being that was as woebegone as himself...   
  
For Pix had an insatiable appetite for magic... yet was completely incapable of using or generating it herself. Sadly, Zel had been unable to use any of the research into the tiny being to help her OR himself, the starved pixie had only been able to survive by slowly leaching the only available magic within her reach once Rezo had abandoned her... the very tomes that detailed her construction. In the damp and dark for several years, without the magic that preserved them, the tomes had been almost completely unreadable.   
  
Zel was now in a rather strange position. On the one hand, he wasn't much for company, being largely uncomfortable in social situations... he knew what he looked like. On the other, he felt a kinship for this little being that Rezo had thrown away... it reminded him alot of himself. Further, he felt responsible for her... she needed a daily source of magic (which could be annoying, because if she was hungry enough she had no control over what she drained of energy) to keep her alive, and Zelgadis was the only person who would give her that without using her.  
  
Not that that didn't mean she wasn't grateful... far from it... it was sort of nice having her around... she was bright and cheerful without being obsessive (like a certain justice loving princess) and she didn't even seem to notice that he was...  
  
Well... rock.  
  
Putting down his half empty cup of tea, he brooded over the book he'd fallen asleep on. He didn't have much hope of finding what it was he was looking for. He'd exhausted nearly every possibility of finding his cure among the books he'd salvaged from Rezo's collection... the information he needed simply wasn't in them.  
  
"Whats wrong master Zelgadis?" Pix asked him worriedly. Zelgadis was essentially her entire world, but he had a tendancy towards depression and brooding, despite her constant attempts to lighten him up. Though she honestly couldn't understand what it was that was so important about finding his cure (she thought he was quite handsome and unique personally) she knew that it WAS important to him, and so it was important to her.   
  
He sighed. "All of these books are useless. The only thing that could help me now is the Claire Bible, and I'm no closer to finding the way to THAT either."  
  
Pix frowned (an expression that was uncommon for her) and patted his hand. "I thought the Claire Bible was right here... I mean, that's why WE'RE here isn't it?"  
  
He sighed and rubbed the bridge of his nose. "Yes Pix, this is the location of the Claire Bible... the problem is that its hidden in a magical labyrinth that only a very few people know the way through... the information is so close and yet..."  
  
"Well what about Lina Inverse? She's-"  
  
"Oh no... I'm not involving HER in this... every time I get mixed up with her I end up sidetracked and wandering about trying to save the world from whatever menace is threatening it this time... or I end up in some ridiculous mess that has nothing to do with anything other than embarassing the hell out of me... it took me a long time to convince her that I was through with adventuring, I'm not about to-" he stopped ranting and seated himself...  
  
"I'm sorry Pix... its not your problem... its not Lina's problem... this is MY problem."  
  
"Besides... Lina's in no position to help me as she is... I wouldn't want to endanger her."  
  
Pix nodded sadly, then brightened up. "Well breakfast is ready whenever you are!"  
  
Zelgadis managed a slight grin. "Thanks Pix."  
  
She nodded, then fluttered off into another area of the cave they'd set up shop in, humming merrily to herself.  
  
Zelgadis' gaze became distant and somewhat melencoly... no... he didn't think he'd be adventuring with any Inverses any time soon.  
  
(THHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHRRRRRRRRPPPPPP!)  
  
He frowned slightly... for a moment, he could have sworn he'd heard someone giving him the raspberry....  
  
***  
  
"Bless you." Red remarked absently to Mina as the two of them made their way down the long road to Katatoe.   
  
Mina sniffed. "Thank you." she frowned... was she allergic to something around here? She'd been sneezing an awful lot lately.  
  
"So who is this Zelgadis guy anyway?"  
  
Mina frowned. "Well... before I was born, mom and dad used to travel around er... adventuring as heroes.." she gave him a warning look... but his face was neutral.  
  
Studiously so.  
  
"One of the people that used to travel with them was Zelgadis." she frowned. "I remember every year we used to celebrate Valgaav, he's this bratty kid I used to know... one of my mom's friend's kid, and my birthday at the same time... cause they were real close together and everyone lived so far away from each other."  
  
Red frowned... Valgaav... that name sounded familiar... why did he know these people so well? "Go on." he encouraged her.  
  
She sighed. "There's really not a whole lot to tell... he stopped visiting by the time I was 5... I always got the impression that he was uncomfortable being around kids. He was quiet and calm... which is alot different from my mom and dad let me tell you... and he had this real nice voice. His skin was like rock, and he had wire for hair. Mom said that's part of the reason he was so uncomfortable ... he's real touchy about it. I don't remember him too well, but I remember he always gave us really cool presents... usually that he made himself."  
  
Red frowned. The look on her face was one of curiousity and fondness... he wasn't entirely sure how he felt about her being so interested in another man.   
  
He grinned. "You're not into the quiet mysterious type are you?"  
  
Mina gave him an equally evil look. "You mean as opposed to big, loud, and obnoxious?"  
  
He blinked. "You think I'm loud?"  
  
"Oh... no more then your average THUNDERSTORM." she retorted, smiling.  
  
He looked somewhat offended and she started to chuckle.  
  
"Hey... you forgot some things on your list." he asked, almost too casually.  
  
"Like what?"  
  
"Strong, fast, and vengeful."  
  
"Vengeful? What do you ACK-"  
  
Mina found herself hoisted not unlike a bag of potatoes. Red whistled contentedly to himself as she struggled (in vain) to free herself.  
  
"Red... put me DOWN!" she tried to sound irritated, but its somewhat hard to do this while one is giggling.  
  
"What? I'm sorry... can't hear you over all the noise I'm making." He intentionally increased his volume by a few decibels.  
  
"Seriously Red...put me down... your hair is tickling me...."  
  
"Oh... you shouldn't have told me THAT!"  
  
"ACK!"  
  
It was a fortunate thing that Dnarc was several miles away at the time...  
  
Though whether it was a fortunate thing for the two of them or him is another question entirely.  
  
*** 


	13. C is for Chowder, D is for Dementia, E i...

"Don't go out tonight, cause it's bound to take your life. There's a bad moon, on the rise."  
-Bad Moon, Credence Clearwater Revival  
  
The rattling and gnashing of teeth against cutlery filled the smokefilled (see previous note about taverns) taproom like the crashing of waves against the shore. Lina's erstwhile group of adventurers had stopped to figure out their next move, which of course meant that the group also had to have a meal or five.  
  
Thus far, a large amount of eating and very little actual planning was being done.  
  
Amelia, used to the natural state of chaos involved in eating with the Gabriev family, merely gaurded what was on her plate cautiously and eat in a relatively normal fashion, though she was occasionally forced to duck a poorly aimed fork or bit of escaping nutritional shrapnel.  
  
Filia didn't bother to dodge or even react to the ruckus about her. Amazingly, the dragon girl simply ignored the situation completely and daintily consumed her repast, and by sheer force of will was able to avoid the culinery storm, though if one were to look underneath the table, one might occasion to notice that her tail lashed back and forth in an irritated fashion.  
  
Xellos nursed a cup of an unidentifiable substance that MIGHT have been coffee a discrete distance away, and occasionally made innocently knowing (Xellos is a master of facial expression... so its not all that hard for him to layer several contradictory impressions on his visage) glances in Filia's direction. "Innocently knowing" was essentially a facial expression he used to give the impression that he was hard at work scheming something positively diabolical, and was therefor trying hard not to draw attention to himself. This had the intended effect of driving everyone around him (usually Filia) crazy trying to figure out what it was that he had up his sleeve this time, when in actuality he was simply enjoying the frustration everyone was feeling trying to figure out a plot that simply didn't exist.  
  
Not to say that he wasn't currently INVOLVED in a plot... its just that most of Xellos' plots were the sort that simply involved setting up a seemingly unrelated series of events that would then cascade outward, like multiple rocks dropped into a pond. This would cause several series of rings bouncing off one another, and kept in perpetual motion by the sheer force of the personalities involved, until the desired set of circumstances arrived. This relieving him of any more then the most minor of occasional upkeep scheming to keep the ball rolling as it were, so he could spend the rest of the time coming up with the next major plot.  
  
When it comes to manipulation, Xellos isn't just a couple of lines ahead of everyone else, he's in a completely different script.  
  
Hydra had collapsed somewhere in the middle of her fifth bottle of wine, and was currently face down in her clam chowder. The occasional series of bubbles popping on the surface evinced that the bounty hunter had not drowned... much to the disappointment of the rest of her table.  
  
Langdelin seesawed between nursing his aching jaw with a clothful of ice (conjured by Hydra) and staring in shock at the whirlwind of destruction that swept over the table like a plague of locusts.  
  
Very hungry locusts.  
  
Finally at the predecided stopping point (namely, Lina took a bite from her hastily stabbed fork and ended up with a few splinters in her mouthful) the group looked uneasily across the table (or in some cases, into the large chunk of potatoe that had lodged under their left eye) at one another, considering the task at hand.  
  
"Well... the first order of business is finding out what Gaav wants..." Lina frowned, cupping her chin.  
  
"There is that... I mean, he's probably pretty mad about the whole being dead thing... even if Miss Lina didn't kill him." Amelia looked across the table at Langdelin, who frowned.  
  
"I know not the demon in question, but certes he hath some naughty design in mind." The knight seemed to ponder this for a few moments, then his face lit up and Langdelin snapped his fingers.  
  
"Surely the puissiant Zomelgustar hath the answer!" pulling the hideous (and yet amazingly tacky) amulet out of his breastplate (thus far the group had yet to see him remove his armor, even while sleeping, and yet the man had no identifable odor... it was almost creepy) he proceeded to draw a pentagram on the table with a bit of maroon chalk he had been carrying about in a satchel.  
  
The rest of the group stared at him for a few seconds before returning to their conversation.  
  
"Well... I think it's pretty obvious that what ever it is, it involves Lina..." Filia's gaze became distant as she gave the matter more thought. "It would have been alot easier to simply... ah... dispose of Mina instead of dragging her along after him. He must have something specific in mind."  
  
Lina's concern showed through her bravado for a moment, and Gourry put a protective arm around her shoulders. Her face hardened almost immediately, but Filia gave her an apologetic glance anyway.  
  
"Perhaps he's trying to force Lina to come after him, instead of vice versa... that would let him choose the battleground..." Amelia traced a meaningless design onto the tabletop, and avoided looking at the strange symbol Langdelin was fiddling with... she wasn't entirely sure she should be letting the young knight talk with a monster, though it was probably alright, since the monster in question was made up.  
  
"Blurp..." remarked Hydra.  
  
"I think you're all missing the point here..." Xellos sipped his tea casually. The group turned to look at him, with the exception of Langdelin (who was communing soulfully with his god, or the tabletop, depending on your perception of reality) and Hydra (who was communing soulfully with her clam chowder) seeing as he was a resident expert on Mazoku.  
  
"It doesn't really matter at this point WHY he has Mina, simply that he has her, with the obvious intention of getting Miss Lina involved in all of this. He's going to force her to face him in a place of his choosing... which would be very bad for all of you."  
  
"So what you mean is, we need to find him BEFORE he gets to where ever he's taking Mina..." Lina mused.  
  
"Precisely correct. Now it just so happens that-"  
  
"THE KATATOE MOUNTAINS!" Langdelin roared in what was essentially his voice if he were gargling a mouthful of spit.  
  
Every one stared at him in shock... including Xellos, who had lost his train of thought entirely.  
  
Langdelin smiled, his visage cruel and inhuman. "The fallen lord seeks to regain that which he has lost... already the storm gathers about him... he seeks that which has been hidden from him since his rebirth... He searches for the stony face at Katatoe! Zomelgustar has spoken!"  
  
Langdelin's face became composed and he blinked rapidly before assuming his usual pious expression. The rest of the group exchanged dubious looks. Xellos for his part, stared intently at the paladin.   
  
"Uh... Miss Lina, I thought that Zomelgustar was-" Amelia looked confused.  
  
"He is... apparently the detachment from reality trait is a dominant one." Lina groaned as she slapped her forehead.  
  
"Huh? Huh? Wha?" Gourry looked back and forth between Langdelin and Lina with a kicked puppy expression.  
  
"My thoughts exactly.." sighed Filia.  
  
"Nevertheless... "Zomelgustar" is correct..." Xellos shrugged.   
  
Lina blinked. "Huh?"  
  
"Thats what I said." Gourry blinked.  
  
"Gaav is headed for the Katatoe Mountains." Xellos looked into his coffee cup. He seemed vaguely disappointed that Langdelin had stolen his thunder.  
  
"Thats what he said." Gourry blinked again.  
  
"Shut up Gourry!" Lina growled.  
  
"How do YOU know that Xellos?" Filia eyed him suspiciously.  
  
Xellos grinned. "That's a secret."  
  
"Isn't it always..." Lina growled.  
  
"Well... it looks like we're headed for that Katatoe Mountains..." she sighed resignedly.  
  
Filia exploded, her tail sticking out at a ramrod 45 degree angle from her body, standing up and slamming her hands on the table. "You're just going to let him get away with... "he's going to the Katatoe mountains" without any explanation other than "its a secret?!"   
  
Lina shrugged. "Why not? It's where we were headed next anyway... It'll kill two birds with one stone. We just have to make sure we get there first."  
  
"Huh?" this deflated the dragon girl somewhat. Her tail wilted.  
  
"Who do you see missing at the moment?"  
  
Amelia perked up, her eyes shining. "Oh Miss Lina! Do you mean-"  
  
"Yup... I think it's time we paid Mr. Stone Cold Grumpy a visit." she sighed. "If Gaav is even half as powerful as he was he last time we fought him, we're going to need all the help we can get." she didn't mention the fact that with her powers gone, Zelgadis was one of the most powerful people they knew that would help them... but some things go without saying.  
  
At least if you knew what was good for you.  
  
Amelia got a look on her face that was vaguely reminiscent of a person being injected with 10 cc's of Prozac. Lina managed a smile.  
  
"I kinda figured you'd take that news well."  
  
Amelia blushed. "Well... he is a good friend, and it has been a long time since the last time we saw each other."  
  
"Uh huh."  
  
She turned to more important topics. "Now, with that out of the way, onto important business."  
  
She had the group's full attention. Therefore,most of them ended up on the floor when she bellowed "WAITER! BRING EVERYTHING ON YOUR DESERT MENU! TWICE!"  
  
Hydra sat up suddenly and snorted. "What mom? More wax?"  
  
Everyone stared at her (some of them from the floor).  
  
A potatoe detached itself from her eyelid and landed in the chowder with a disgruntled "plop"!  
  
***  
  
The next day the group gathered itself together and made an early start to their journey. The group was strangely cheerful for the most part, with the exception of Hydra, who due to a severe hangover marched along sullenly, (and mercifully silently) glaring death at anyone who wandered too close.  
  
Langdelin pulled alongside Filia, who gave him an irritated look. She still hadn't forgiven him his little escapade into naughtiness. She was therefor somewhat suprised when he removed his hat and offered it to her.  
  
"Forgive me, Milady for mine actions yesterday. Had I but known thou wast changing behind yon shrubbery, I wouldst never have intruded."  
  
Filia blinked, the unexpected politeness (which was rare indeed in this group, without Zelgadis) and mangled "Olde English" (which she suspected he half made up) forcing her to hesitate before replying.  
  
"Oh... that's... alright. I suppose I was a bit hasty as well, though you DID suprise me."  
  
Xellos, who had been wandering along nearby, grinned but remained silent.  
  
"If ever there is a service thou requirest of me, I will attempt to the utmost to fulfill it, gentle Filia." he smiled gently, obviously sincere in his attempts at compensation.  
  
"Oh... that's alright, Langdelin..." Filia blushed smiling back at him, somewhat embarassed. "I-I'll keep that in mind."  
  
"Indeed milady." he sighed. "I but wish I could have destroyed the foul beast who led me into the bush... alas... it got away from me."  
  
Xellos' smirk got wider. This was going to be fun.  
  
Filia blinked in confusion. "Foul beast... I didn't see anything come in after me... are you sure?"  
  
"Oh indeed milady. A ferocious dragon, glittering golden in the sun's light as it dived down to harry us. The beast passed us overhead, and only quick action enabled us to evade it's attack. It entered into the bushes into which thou wast... er... changing and I have seen hide nor hair of it since."  
  
Filia's eyebrow twitched. "Evil dragon? Foul beast? THAT WAS ME!"  
  
Langdelin blinked momentarily, then his face became somewhat condescending. "Surely not. I ken a dragon ere I have sighted one. Thou art NOT a dragon."  
  
Filia growled, her tail twitching back and forth furiously. "Then what do you call THIS?" she gestured toward her backside.  
  
He closed his eyes. "Forgive me milady. Had I any knowledge of your presence in the bush yesterday, I wouldst never hath entered it. It is unseemly for a Knight of Zomelgustar to stare lecherously at good ladies' hindquarters."  
  
"What?! I am a DRAGON I tell you!" she was seriously beginning to become annoyed at this young fool.  
  
He chuckled. "I know not the nature of thine jest milady but I will have none of it. Pullest the other one, it hath bells on." He chuckled again. "Next thou whilst tell me that HE..." he gestured at Xellos, who blinked suprisedly. "Is a monster."  
  
Filia turned red. Xellos' smile quirked and twitched a bit. One got the impression that Filia was trying hard not to pummel the deluded young Knight...  
  
While Xellos was trying very hard not to laugh.  
  
***  
  
Things were progressing with Mina and Red as well...  
  
"You have to stroke harder... this just isn't cutting it." Mina sighed.  
  
"Look, I'm putting all I have into it... what do you want from me?" he gasped irritably.  
  
"Well obviously you're doing something wrong, cause we're not getting anywhere. Try dipping it in a bit deeper."  
  
"Hey... cut me some slack! This is my first time." He groused.  
  
"You mean to tell me all the time you were raiding and pillaging the countryside, you never did this before?"  
  
"Obviously... I think I'd remember something like THIS! What makes you the expert anyway?"  
  
"I've seen mom and dad do it a few times. Thats it." she replied defensively.  
  
"Well since you know so much, why don't you try something." he grunted and snapped at her.  
  
"Don't be silly. You're the one with the equipment for it." she growled.  
  
Silence, save for the occasional grunt of effort, finally.  
  
"YEAH! That's it! Just like THAT!" Mina crowed excitedly.  
  
"Sheesh calm down.... I told you we'd get across this damn river eventually." Red muttered as he continued paddling their rickety rowboat towards the far shore.  
  
The Katatoe Mountains cleared their layer of clouds for a moment... they were nearing their destination...  
  
***  
  
Later that night at the water's edge, the bushes and bullrushes growing at the edge of the river parted to reveal a monsterous metalclad form. Dnarc paused at the shoreline, leaving great footprints in the muddy bank. His monstrous ax was slung over his shoulder, and his burning red eyes scanned the far shore, lighting on an abandoned rowboat and narrowing into hard, vicious little ember-like slits.  
  
His quarry was close by... he could smell them.  
  
No one could avoid Dnarc for long. The Bloody Eyed Reaper was a consumate hunter, and his senses (as well as his ax) were razor sharp. With a growl he strode forward, his first massive metalshod boot entering the water with a prodigious splash...  
  
Water hissed and bubbled around his treetrunk legs as he waded into the protesting river, as though it were angry at the intrusion of the abomination that made its way into the river depths. Deeper and deeper he waded, until the horntips of his great helm disappeared beneath the surface completely in a hiss and a swirl of displaced water. Eventually not even the vaguest hint of the monster moving along the riverbed could be discerned in the murky water.  
  
Silence reigned on the scene for a few hours, broken by the occasional bubble and the emergence of a few dead fish.  
  
With a crash of moving water he broke the surface on the other side, and continued up the opposite bank, the water streaming from his black iron armor. Never pausing, never hesitating, he disappeared into the forest beyond, leaving only a few mortally frightened alligators and fish, and a huge set of muddy tracks that would puzzle fishermen on the morrow.  
  
He steamed gently as he walked, and within a few minutes was bone dry.  
  
Nothing could stop him.  
  
Nothing in this world.  
  
***  
  
Lina and her travelling companions entered the city of Katatoe late into the evening. The overall mood was one of exhaustion; the irritable sorceress had pushed them far harder then she ever had before. It had become painfully obvious to them that she was worried sick about her daughter, and they wisely avoided conversation.  
  
All they wanted to do now was find an inn and rest.  
  
Two things were preventing them from reaching their goal.  
  
First, Lina insisted on asking (although the proper term would be better described as interrogated) everyone she could find about any strangers passing through Katatoe...  
  
Secondly, Lina was completely unable to understand the accents of the people who lived there.  
  
"I don' ge ta tayin'." a local man with scraggly grey hair and a piece of straw bouncing up and down out of a mouth better suited to a jack 0' lantern mused, scratching his trousers vigerously.  
  
The trousers appeared to be feebly protesting such treatment.  
  
"What did he say?" Lina looked over at Amelia, who shook her head uncomprehendingly.  
  
"I DOn' GE TA TAyin'." the man accentuated each syllable clearly, which had the effect of making what he was saying as clear as your average puddle in a sandbox.  
  
"Look, all we want to know is, did a large man in a yellow overcoat and a woman who looks like me except... er... better endowed come through here?"  
  
The man appeared to be thinking. It was more likely that he was just attempting to pass gas.  
  
"Dey bin co to. Oun' bo our go. Sriggin' oun' dem 'az 'ike a par a shp!" he cackled and slapped a knee.  
  
The group looked at each other irritably, then Gourry, who'd been busy trying to ward off a goat that had decided the blonde mass on his head was hay, or at least edible, looked up suddenly and grinned.  
  
"That's GREAT! Didja hear Lina?"  
  
Lina blinked, then looked in his direction. "What?"  
  
"He just said this Gabby guy and Mina passed through here a couple of hours ago, and that they're wandering around the maze. Thats horrible!" He cupped his chin and closed his eyes, frowning in concentration.  
  
"They must be lost." he concluded after serious deliberation.  
  
The group looked at one another, then Lina shook her head. Xellos smirked. "It would appear stupidity is transmitted through ALL language barriers."  
  
No one bothered to refute him.  
  
"Thats great! We've been through here before... we can head straight through, avoid them at first, grab Zel, then POW! Get 'em in an ambush! Er... with a righteous heart and lots of justice though." Amelia blushed, grinning at Lina feebly.  
  
"Yeah... that sounds like a plan..." Lina mused.  
  
"One problem with that." Filia asked tiredly.  
  
"What's that?" Lina asked.  
  
"Where are Sir Langdelin and Miss Hydra?"  
  
Lina frowned and looked around. "They're right..." she looked where the two had been standing... a goat gave her a lecherous wink. "Huh?"  
  
Gourry frowned. "We have bigger problems Lina."  
  
Lina spun around and put her hands on her hips. "What is it NOW Gourry?"  
  
"Where's Xellos?"  
  
Lina looked about the group. Xellos was conspicious in his absence. She, Filia, Amelia and Gourry shared a worried look.  
  
"This is bad." They said at the same time.  
  
"Ba." The goat agreed.  
  
*** 


	14. Sometimes Faith Requireeth Explosives

"You got to know when to hold 'em. Know when to fold 'em. Know when to walk away, and know when to run." -Kenny Rogers, The Gambler  
  
Mina wandered along with a silently brooding Red through the seemingly endless rabbit warren of natural granite walls that made up the Katatoe mountain range's base, and finally conceded to herself that she was hopelessly lost. This observation (which had been remarked upon with regular consistency by an accusing Red) had been arrived upon by the fact that they'd passed the mark that Red (who even then had been highly doubtful of her vaunted sense of direction) had scratched into the granite face for the third time. This was exacerbated by the fact that flying upward to scout out a better path was almost completely ineffective due to the darkness of the night, and the perennial clouds that seemed to hover over the Katatoe's like a gauzy shroud. In addition her compass, a hand crafted gift from, ironically enough, Zelgadis could not seem to decide which direction north was. The needle spun in a lazy circle some of the time and jerked violently to the left and right for the remainder... the end result being that the compass appeared to be unable to make up it's mind.  
  
Much to its owner's embarassment.  
  
"Well that settles it." Red sighed, spotting the mark and crossing his arms. "We are definitely lost."  
  
"Well you certainly haven't been much help." Mina grumbled, snapping her befuddled compass shut with a snap. "You've been whining like a kid for the past hour."  
  
He glared at her. "I told you we should have stopped in town to ask for directions, but no.. someone might recognize you, you said. I can scout out if we get lost, you said. My sense of direction has never failed me, you said. My ass!"  
  
"Ok, so maybe I made a mistake.. like you've never been wrong before." she snapped, rubbing the bridge of her nose tiredly, trying to rethink their steps.  
  
She had quite a task before her. The Katatoe Mountains harbor one of the most extensive natural labyrinths on the face of the earth. Created by the dormant volcano system that slumbered deep within the highly ferrous Katatoe mountains, the place was littered with dead ends and honeycombed with layer upon layer of old lava tubes. These passages followed no rhyme or reason, and were so extensive that one could literally wander through them hopelessly for months. This proved the age old adage believed to be coined by the ancient philosopher Pratcheti, who supposedly once said:  
  
"Chaos will always win against Order, because Chaos is better organized."  
  
Not that the discouraged pair were particularly interested in ancient philosophy at their current juncture.  
  
Finally Mina snapped her fingers.   
  
"I've got it!" she exclaimed.  
  
"Got what?" Red remarked irritably.  
  
"If Zel lives here, presumably to avoid dealing with people, where would be the best place to do so?"  
  
"Past all this, maybe up high... why?"  
  
"Exactly. The higher you climb up a mountain, the colder it gets right?"  
  
"So I've been told." Red scowled. "So what?"  
  
"So if we just keep wandering in the direction of where it's getting colder, then we are probably travelling in the right direction... right?" she looked at Red with a frown.  
  
"That's stupid. But...." he sighed. "It's better then anything I can come up with."  
  
"Gee. Thanks... I think." Mina snorted.   
  
Three hours later they were finally making progress. The cliff walls on either side of them were beginning to take on a light covering of snow, and their breath fogged like misty wraiths about them. More then once Mina wished her costume were a bit better suited to this sort of weather, but she'd never occasioned to travel towards more arctic climes before, and though she'd known they were headed a mountain range she hadn't had much time to pick up any essentials beyond the bare necessities.  
  
Travelling with arguably the most wanted man in all of Sailoon did not give one many shopping opportunities.  
  
Red for his part, weathered the gradually chilling climate stoically, but then, one can afford to when one's normal apparell consisted mainly of a large overcoat.  
  
Still, though not uncomfortable physically, he was not at ease by any sense of the word. Something about the looming nature of the rock faces on either side of them set his combat honed senses tingling in alarm. For one, with the way the cliffs tended to jut outward, one would be unable to see an ambush before it was far too late in this place.  
  
For another, with the steadily rising amount of snow capping them, they were increasingly in danger of an avalanche.  
  
Red's hand clenched unconciously on his sword hilt.  
  
***  
  
Sir Langdelin of Zoana whistled quietly to himself as he carried the heavy wooden barrel toward the location he'd marked with a bit of rock. Setting it down into the snowbank carefully, so as not to step towards the slippery edge lest he find himself a zealous grease spot on the crevasse floor below, he forced it into its appointed place and eased it back and forth until it was snugly entrenched. Removing his hat, he wiped his brow and glanced behind him.  
  
His companion, rival and headache had man (or woman) handled a similar barrel to a location exactly twenty feet down range, and was busily screwing it into the snow in silent concentration. She was (blessedly) silent due to the fact that Mr. Xellos had cautioned her that any loud noise might cause the entire snowbank they stood upon to collapse into the gorge, probably with them in it.  
  
It would also spoil their suprise.  
  
Sir Langdelin (or Langy to his companion and arguably only friend, though he became highly embarassed if she called him that in public) was not a stupid or spiteful individual. On the contrary he was a highly intelligent, resourceful and studious young man. He was also extremely loyal and devout, which can sometimes be misconstrued as stupidity by the unenlightened. Being devout meant that he took things on faith, which is the sworn enemy of logic, and believed with all of his great heart and soul in the shrewdness and love of the Terrible Zomelgustar. He wasn't sure what he had done to anger Zomelgustar that He should visit Hydra upon him (who stuck to him like crazy glue... emphasis on the crazy) but he'd taken it at first as a test of his faith, and later in the resigned way that one deals with the fact that one is rapidly going bald... namely by ignoring the problem. To be honest, she wasn't hard to look at, and though he couldn't be sure (he was after all, a chaste and devout Knight of Zoana) he sometimes got the impression that she was flirting with him, but then, she flirted with everything... even inanimate objects.  
  
Putting his beloved hat (a gift from his father, at his mother's insistance, since the crown didn't fit over it in any manner that could be described as regal) back onto it's customary position, he began attaching the long magnesium impregated fuse into the hole at the top of the barrel. A nobleman, he was well educated in the alchemical arts, particularly Outer World ones that involved things going "boom"... knowledge of which his sainted Mother was particularly fond. As stated before, Sir Langdelin was a devout individual with an overdeveloped sense of faith, so when he mentioned quietly in passing (more to himself than anyone else) that he had thought of a way in which the vile blackheart they were pursuing could be foiled, if only he had a passably large amount of Outer World Explosives, he had not been overly suprised when the great Zomelgustar had made some available through the earthy agent of Mr. Xellos. He wasn't entirely sure where Mr. Xellos had been hiding twenty barrels of grade A black powder and one hundred twenty seven feet of fuse, but then it occured to him that Xellos, being a priest had probably consulted with his God (of whom Langdelin had never bothered to get the name of, he realized shamefully) who undoubtedly had conferred with the All-Knowing Zomelgustar who then miracled the entire mass into the cloak from which Xellos had calmly drawn barrel after barrel out into the pristine white snow. One would think that this shameful lack of acknowledgement for physical law would make the Knight suspicious.  
  
On the contrary, Langdelin now considered Xellos to be one of the most holy men he knew. This goes in line with the whole faith versus logic argument.  
  
Hydra had gone along with it on the principle that if her rival had come up with a plan, only she could supervise it well enough to make it succeed. That and the fact that she too enjoyed a good bang now and then.   
  
They'd left quickly, since as Xellos had explained, the rest of the group was undoubtably exhausted and shouldn't be bothered with the little details. Langdelin felt somewhat guilty about this fact, but went along with it; secretly he was relieved that they had left Filia behind.  
  
She scared him.  
  
***  
  
A long, long distance away.. Pallo, now a adult beastman of 22, looked from his spreadsheet to Uncle Gillas in baffled consternation. With the twangy accent that all of his people effected, he vented his puzzlement to his equally confused uncle.  
  
"I don' understand it Uncle... shorely twenty barrels a' powda an' one hundred twenty seven feet a' fuse con't jus' get op an' walk away. I did the inventory meself."  
  
Gillas frowned and stared hard at the storeroom again. Walking towards the large, bare section where the missing stock had been resting the previous night, he was suprised when something he stepped on crackled. Looking down, he found what appeared to be a small purple piece of paper, somewhat the worse for wear having been stepped upon repeatedly. He picked it up and examined it.  
  
Hello All,   
I borrowed a little powder... hope you don't mind.   
  
Sincerely,  
It's A Secret  
  
P.S. It's for a good cause  
  
Gillas frowned at the note. Who the hell could just walk off with a ton of powder and 20 pounds of fuse without raising any sort of alarm or leaving any tracks?  
  
It would remain a mystery for the rest of his days.  
  
***  
  
Visibility was next to nil as Lina and her flying companions (with Gourry in his customary position clinging for dear life to Lina's leg) made their way out over the Katatoe Mountains. The howling wind of their passage made it necessary for them to shout in order to make themselves heard, and the air was frigid and heavy with moisture, adding more misery to the tired adventurers.  
  
"WHAT MAKES YOU THINK THEY HEADED OUT THIS WAY MISS LINA?" Amelia shouted, pulling her cloak closer around her shoulders and trying to make due in the chilling fog.  
  
"XELLOS IS WITH THEM... THIS IS WHERE HE CAN CAUSE THE MOST PROBLEMS." Lina shouted, her teeth chattering. Gourry's grip tightened.... he'd never gotten used to this mode of travel.  
  
"HOW ARE WE EVER GOING TO FIND THEM IN ALL THIS FOG?" Filia shouted irritably, seemingly unaffected by the cold. Her sharp dragon eyesight peered through the thick haze with intense concentration... then widened suddenly.  
  
"HEY.. I SEE SOMETHING GLOWING OUT THERE!"  
  
"WHAT?" shouted the other two.... Gourry was incapable of speech or vision... he had his eyes squeezed shut and was in his happy place.  
  
"I SAID, THERE'S SOME THING GLOWING OUT THERE..." She pointed into the distance. The other two looked in the direction she indicated, Amelia being the second one to spot it.  
  
"HEY... I SEE IT TOO... WHAT IS THAT?"  
  
Lina frowned, unable to sight it, then she too was able to make out what appeared to be two tiny flickering spots of light.  
  
"LETS CHECK IT OUT... IT MIGHT BE THEM."  
  
The other two shouted their agreement, and the small flock of travellers began their descent.  
  
Gourry babbled quietly to himself and tightened his grip again.  
  
Lina almost kicked him off.  
  
***  
  
Langdelin waited patiently in the snow, lit torch in hand, shielding his eyes from the glare off the huge expanse of virgin snow. At his feet was the end of an extremely long fuse that split off into a multitude of directions. Across the gap between the two high granite cliffs was the tiny figure of an extremely large breasted woman in a similar stance, looking in his direction. He was currently watching the passage up which he had managed to determine the Dark Lord would have to travel, his eyes fixed upon the gap between two large boulders that would afford him a glimpse of his quarry just before he entered his clever little trap. He looked the absolute picture of the vigilant hero, with his cloak snapping in the breeze.  
  
The image was somewhat ruined when he sneezed loudly. It was cold up here.  
  
"Bless you." a wry voice sounded just behind him.  
  
"Thank you Father Xellos." he said solemnly without taking his eyes off of the target area.  
  
"You're quite welcome my son." Xellos remarked amiably.  
  
A whistling noise drew Xellos' attention upward, and he calmly stepped to one side as Gourry slammed face first into the snow, his long legs kicking feebly as he attempted to free himself. He waved cheerfully as the other members of the group made a decidedly better landing.  
  
"What are you up to, Xellos!" Filia and Lina hissed at approximately the same time. They looked at each other for a moment, then returned to staring down the hapless Mazoku.   
  
Xellos raised his hands up to forstall any violence. "It wasn't MY idea... I just thought this little undergoing could use some adult supervision. Ask Sir Langdelin if you want to know what's going on."  
  
Lina stalked over to the motionless knight. He apparently hadn't noticed their descent.  
  
"What are you doing? Whats all this rope... what's in those barrels!" her head swiveled rapidly, following the mass of fuse connecting 10 barrels in series.  
  
"Oh... Miss Lina, I am glad thou art present. I have constructed a clever trap to bring Zomelgustar's judgement down upon yon foul kidnapper."  
  
"What. Kind. Of. Plan?" Lina asked through gritted teeth.  
  
Langdelin smiled grimly. "When the brute passeth through yon clearing, Verily shall I lit the sacred fuse of Zomelgustar's puissiant might. In but a few moments, the weight of his fury shall be felt keenly by the ne'erdowell. He shall inevitably perish."  
  
"I see." Lina mused. "Langdelin, can I get your attention for a moment?" she asked sweetly.   
  
Langdelin frowned. "I dare not milady. Should the target pass by whilst my attention is lacking, he might escape Zomelgustar's judgement. Evil is tricky that way."  
  
"This is REALLY important." Her voice was like icing on a cake.  
  
He sighed. I suppose we have a little time. "What would thou have us dis-" he stopped short as he looked at Lina. To say that she did not look happy would have been an understatement. Hardened bandits have fainted away from the sight of a highly irritated Lina Inverse. Langdelin gulped.  
  
"First of all, what ever possessed you to go FLITTING OFF TO START AN AMBUSH WITHOUT THE REST OF THE GROUP! Gimme That." she snapped the torch out of his nerveless fingers with one hand and gripped the knight by his cloak clasp with the other, dragging him nose to nose. He blinked.  
  
"SECONDLY, I DON'Y CARE HOW MANY EXPLOSIVES YOU USE, YOU CAN'T KILL A DARK LORD THAT WAY!"  
  
Langdelin paled. Perhaps he'd underestimated the situation slightly.  
  
FINALLY, MY DAUGHTER IS WITH HIM YOU NITWIT, AND SHE DEFINITELY WOULDN'T SURVIVE A BLAST OF THIS MAGNITUDE!" she shook him violently, and he blinked.  
  
"SO! What do you have to say for yourself?" she asked, panting heavily.  
  
"Thou doth not wish that we carry out this plan?" he inquired dazedly.  
  
She blinked. Then calmly held the torch out behind her. "Hold this." she asked distractedly.  
  
"Of course Miss Lina." Xellos replied helpfully.  
  
"Thank you."  
  
She then took Langdelin's throat in both hands and proceeded to violently shake him as she attempted to throttle the life out of him. His eye's bugged out so far it looked as though they were about to explode from his face, and he began to turn purple.  
  
"OF COURSE I DON'T WANT YOU TO CARRY OUT THIS IDIOTIC SCHEME!! OF ALL THE STUPID, HAREBRAINED-" she stopped suddenly, blinking.  
  
Something was very wrong, and she just couldn't quite place what it was that was. She tried to mentally reverse gears. A hissing sound suddenly broke it's way through the haze of rage that clouded her mental faculties and she looked at the faces of each of her companions confusedly.  
  
Each of them stared at each other in frozen horror (With the exception of Gourry, who had only just pulled himself out of the snow and just looked blank) as it slowly dawned on them what the sound was.  
  
The fuse had been lit.  
  
They all looked aghast at Xellos, who tossed the torch over one shoulder and then grinned. He uttered a single word as explanation.  
  
"Oops." He replied in a tone one usually reserved for dropping one's ice cream. Then he disappeared with a hiss of displaced air.  
  
Langdelin recovered enough to pick up Lina (who yelped and started whacking him on the head, to very little effect) and run for his life. Holding his hat on his head with one hand, he carted the irate sorceress over the frozen landscape, calling over his shoulder.  
  
"I suggest that if thou... screw it. RUN FOR YOUR LIVES!!!"  
  
The group froze for a split second, then Amelia and Filia each grabbed Gourry by a leg and proceeded to make tracks at full across the snowy ground, yelling at the top of their lungs and leaving a huge ditch in the snow as Gourry bounced along face first in the ground.  
  
"Wha-" thud! "is..." crack! "Happeninginging" he muttered as various bits of landscape bounced off his skull.  
  
Hydra frowned, then shrugged and lit her side as well, rocketing up into the sky to avoid the ensuing blast.  
  
Unseen by the fleeing group, Mina and Gaav rounded the bend at exactly the moment that all twenty barrels went off with a noise that even the Lord of Nightmares might have noticed, were she so inclined.  
  
***  
  
The sudden concussion of a literal ton of gun powder blasted into the night, devastating the rockface on either side of the gorge in a series of explosions so close together it might as well have been one long blast. Langdelin had set up his charges well... first the left side, then immediately following it the right went off from the outside inward, blowing massive amounts of rock and ice into the passage like thousands of razor-sharp flechettes. A cloud of steam and debris filled the already fog saturated air, making visibility impossible.  
  
If Red and Mina had been in the center of that initial hellstorm, not even Red would have survived with his physical body intact. However, since the charges had been set off too early, they were not in the center of the actual blast, so they had a bit of advance warning when several million tons of displaced rock and ice came crashing down the passage they had been traversing.  
  
All of three seconds to be exact.  
  
***  
  
A sound like the cracking of the world crashed into Mina's travel-numbed mind like the ball-peen hammer of God, at the same time, a concussive blast wave drove her violently onto her rump. At her side, Red grunted under the impact and staggered a few steps backward, his sword clearing its sheath like magic.  
  
The whip crack of detonation rattled about the cliffs, followed by an immense roaring noise, as though the mountains themselves were telling whoever was lighting firecrackers to "CUT OUT THAT RACKET!"  
  
Mina had enough time to begin asking what the hell just happened when the two of them caught sight of the thundering wave of ice and stone rushing up to meet them like a landbirthed tsunami. Mina's jaw dropped open and she froze in mute horror at the sight of her death barreling towards her... there was just no time...  
  
Red had been on a razor's edge since they'd entered this place. Something about it set his combat instincts into overdrive. Even so, there was no way he could have prepared for the disaster raining down upon them. His mind became a tumbling miasma of random thoughts-  
  
-Good gods... thats the first time I've ever seen anything bigger than me...-  
  
-I don't know if I can survive this-  
  
-I can't die here! I must know who I am-  
  
-Mina won't live through this...-  
  
-No. Unacceptable.-  
  
Snarling ferociously, his eyes blazing like two coals in the pale frame of his face, he gritted his teeth and swept a thoroughly suprised Mina up against his massive chest, (which broke the far too late Valis Wall she was attempting to cast) then turned his back on the wave of destruction barreling towards them and slammed his great sword deep into the ground. After the first foot and a half, the blade slide down easier, suprising him slightly, then it held, and he braced himself against it, shielding Mina with his own great bulk just as the avalanche swept into him.  
  
No mortal man can stand against such a terrible force of nature.   
  
Red was no mere mortal.  
  
The initial impact lifted him from his braced position and tried to tear him away from his sword he held on with a death grip and forced himself back into his brace seemingly by sheer force of will alone. The ice and jagged rock covered them both almost instantly-  
  
For Mina, everything became dark and confusing. Squeezed painfully against Red's chest by his iron grip, she was forced to look upward. Strange and disjoined images flashed to her in the darkness of the avalanche passing by them. Red seemed to be roaring at the storm, his eyes glowing in the darkness, then this disappeared as he closed them. She mouthed a denial as she heard and felt the terrible impact of boulders striking his back, fist sized... melon sized...  
  
Horse sized.  
  
A small bit of jagged rock tore a line of fire across her forehead, and she glimpsed a stone the size of two cupped fists soundly striking the side of Red's leonine head. She could feel them slowly being pushed backward, the flat of the weapon at her back ice cold and groaning as it dug a great furrow in the solid rock. Red slumped forward, at the end of his endurance, and then there seemed to be another cracking noise (what now?) and she felt him shift backwards, and then they were falling.. falling....  
  
Into the darkness... both mind and body.  
  
***  
  
Deep within the lava tubes that riddled the mountains beneath the surface... in the darkness where no light had ever touched, a pair of terrible red eyes glanced upward as a shifting of earth caused a few small pebbles and clouds of dust to rain down. Growling in anticipation, the Bloody Eyed Reaper continued down the natural stone corridor he had been travelling in his methodical, unstoppable manner.  
  
Soon.  
  
*** 


	15. And In This Corner! Saved by The Belle

"You, you gave me life. Then ripped out my emotion, and replaced it with a knife! I cut you once, I cut you twice, you're my midnight sacrifice! You shame me, you've shamed God... you scream my name, now you're gone!" Jack, Iced Earth  
  
Zelgadis was pouring over one of Rezo's drier tomes and rapidly falling asleep when a violent rumbling shook him from his torpor. Blinking in suprise, he looked about the room in confusion. Pix froze in the middle of pushing a slim volume on astral creatures (Toban's Spirit Guide- The Abridged Version) back into place on the book shelf when the shaking started, she turned around and looked at Zelgadis curiously.  
  
Zelgadis stood and belted on his sword, balancing his way across the waltzing room (but it was really more of a very poor rendition of the twist... maybe the macarena) with a curious expression on his face. Perhaps the volcanos were active again? Some sort of magical disturbance?  
  
As suddenly as it had started the rumbling ceased, leaving them more puzzled then before.  
  
Pix frowned. "What happened, Master Zelgadis?"  
  
Zel reached over calmly and caught a falling book before it could hit the ground, setting it absently back on the shelf.  
  
"I'm not sure. It sounded like a Dragon Slave."  
  
Another book on the top shelf finally lost the battle to gravity and started its rapid descent towards the ground. It was a large book, Encyclopedia Outlandia in it's first Sailoon edition, with a gold embossed spine.  
  
Pix got underneath it, eager to help. "I got it!"  
  
Zelgadis winced as the heavy tome flattened the overly enthusiastic pixie with a particularly satisfied sounding "WHOMP" noise.  
  
"You got it all right. What were you thinking?"  
  
Picking up the book, he revealed a rather flattened pixie giggling dazedly as she tried to clear the cobwebs from her book-stamped mind.  
  
"Are you alright?" he leaned down and prodded her gently with a stony finger.  
  
"No more for me thanks, I'm driving."  
  
He shook his head. Pixies shouldn't read and drive.  
  
The two of them pondered the odd occurance over a cup of tea (not Mrs. Fenwick's Wicked Brew. This is only really useful when one is trying to wake up; a slap in the face might wake you up, but no one particularly wants to be slapped while they are conscious, perverts aside.) after Pix had managed to regain her faculties (and original shape).  
  
"Maybe it was an earthquake." Pix reasoned. "We are living over a volcanic area."  
  
"I don't think so. Earthquakes aren't usually so directional. That one sounded like an extremely long bang followed by a rumbling noise... like an avalanche."  
  
"I've never heard of an avalanche that sounds like an explosion at first, Master." Pix frowned.  
  
"I have." Zelgadis sighed.  
  
"Her name is Lina Inverse."  
  
"Do you think she's the cause of this?"  
  
Zelgadis stood calmly. "Only one way to find out. We'll just have to see for ourselves."  
  
Pix bounced excitedly (causing Zelgadis to politely avert his eyes) and clapped her hands. "Are we going on a trip Master?"  
  
"Er... it looks that way Pix." Zel pulled his cloak's hood over his head.  
  
"Should I pack a lunch?" she flittered next to his head.  
  
"I don't..." a thought occured to him. This was Lina Inverse he was talking about.   
  
"Yes Pix... I think you should. A very BIG lunch."  
  
***  
  
Mina's head felt as though she'd been through a cement mixer.  
  
This statement begs clarification. Mina did not in fact feel as though she'd been put through a cement mixer in exactly those words. Cement mixers do not exist in her time frame, so she could hardly use it as a metaphor for her situation. What Mina felt in more precise terms was that she had been bounced around brutally in a very small space by very large rocks, and then poured out into a very dark hole.  
  
Hence the above statement.  
  
Blinking back the pounding headache, Mina sat up slowly and did a tentative check of herself. At first she was somewhat alarmed to find that she could not see, but she was soon able to determine (with a handy light spell) that this was due to the fact that she was currently underground. Her left eye would not open, but this was largely because her eyelid had been glued shut by dried blood from a nasty gash on her forehead. Finished with the areas the hurt the worst, she stood up and walked a few steps. No spouting blood? Check. No broken bones? Check.   
  
Then she remembered Red. Swinging the light spell about frantically, she fought against growing claustrophobia as she searched the icy debris that had sealed her in. A moment of panicked desperation clutched her heart when she couldn't see him; perhaps he was buried... then she caught sight of him, face down his hair spread over his head like a pool of blood. He was half buried in the rock, his overcoat a bit dusty and tattered and looking much the worse for wear.  
  
He still clutched his sword in one massive hand.  
  
Picking her way over the fallen rock, she gripped beneath his massive shoulders and tried to drag him out from underneath the tons of rock to no avail... he was just too heavy. Biting her lip, she scanned the rock imprisoning his lower body. It didn't look too stable... sloping at a sharp angle upward. In fact, it looked as though if one were to remove one rock, the others would come pounding down as well... this time burying the unconcious bandit for good.  
  
She sat down next to him with her back to the rock and thought furiously. She looked at him quietly. He was very very pale...  
  
A sudden, horrible thought occurred to her and she tentatively reached out a hand to feel his neck...  
  
He was cold...  
  
There was no pulse...  
  
Mina was too exhausted and heartsick to scream for him. What she did do was cry until her light went out.  
  
Then there was only the sound of sobbing in the dark.  
  
***  
  
Red floated in warm nothingness. Everything was peaceful, there was no pain, no discomfort.  
  
He hated it.  
  
He remembered protecting Mina from the onslaught of falling rock, he remembered a sharp pain in his head, and the pounding of tons of rock... then he had found himself here.  
  
Everywhere he looked he could see only white light, even when he tried to look at himself.  
  
Most people who die feel as though they are floating towards the afterlife. This is supposed to inspire acceptance, and give the newly released soul a chance to get accustomed to being deceased.  
  
Red was growing increasingly bored and frustrated.  
  
-What the hell is this? I'm dead? This is such a total waste of my time.-  
  
A few moments later.  
  
-They don't have to rub it in. It's not like I don't know I'm dead.-  
  
Later still.  
  
-Service!-  
  
As though eternity had taken offense to his irreverant attitude (which it may have... eternity is a very sensitive individual who cries at weddings all the time) he suddenly found himself surrounded by darkness.  
  
-Well at least this is a change of pace.-  
  
"What in the hell were you thinking?" someone with a very familiar voice asked him in a wryly amused tone.  
  
"Who said that?" he mused, blinking when he realized he could hear himself. That meant he had to have ears, which entailed a body. He patted himself over. He felt pretty good for someone who was undoubtedly flattened.  
  
Suddenly he could see... himself. A carbon copy of him walked towards him from the darkness, hands in pockets. His expression was odd... a mixture of arrogant self assurance and cynical amusement.  
  
"What the?"  
  
"You certainly took your time. I thought you were just going to let yourself move on." he sighed. "Have I really sunk SO low?"  
  
"Who the HELL are you?"  
  
The other Red grinned. "You."  
  
***  
  
Mina was shivering violently. The temperature in the cave was considerably lower then that outside, due to the lack of sunlight and the manner in which stone conducts or leaches heat. She was going to die of exposure soon if she didn't do something about it.  
  
She really didn't see the point.  
  
A lot had happened to her in the last few months. She'd been defeated, humiliated, bullied and dragged across a continent and back again on some crazy errand for the man responsible for her torments. At the same time, she realized she had never felt more alive then in the time she'd spent with that once indomitable, infuriating man lying cold next to her. He could be a jerk, and selfish... occasionally he could even be downright cruel, but he had been HER jerk.   
  
She couldn't believe he was gone.  
  
Gradually she became aware of a strange sound that had been repeating itself in the background... It was not as random as she had originally thought. Looking up, she strained to make out the noise... a clanking thump that repeated itself once every second or so, faint at first but rapidly growing louder.  
  
She slowly became aware that she was not alone... in the distance, down the smooth stone tube that made up the backside of the cave in which she was trapped, a pair of red lights flickered in the distance. Standing, she cupped her hands and cast another light spell. Shining it forward, she drew her sword warily, danger making her momentarily cast aside her grief.  
  
"Who's there?" She asked, raising her sword.  
  
A deep, bass chuckle that sounded as though it had emerged from an already torn throat met her words. Stepping forward into her light was a giant monstrousity of blackened iron carrying an axe that would have been ridiculous in the amount of serrated edges it held had it not been so huge.  
  
Nor so stained with blood.  
  
She let her gaze raise as her lower jaw dropped, blinking in confused horror.  
  
"What the hell ARE you?"  
  
"Your doom, little girl. This is going to be.. FUN..." It rumbled companionably. Then it charged.  
  
***  
  
"What do you mean?" Red asked warily, holding his sword in both hands.  
  
"I meant what I said. I am you. The REAL you." the apparation's smile faltered a bit and became an ominous frown.  
  
"At least... I'm what you SHOULD be. What WE should be."  
  
"I don't understand." Red stared confusedly.   
  
"Of course you don't. I made it that way. To keep our blasted brother from finding us before we could regain our strength. We are were very weak upon our rebirth."  
  
"Rebirth?"  
  
"Of course. This isn't the first time we have died... I mean, it IS the first time we've died so STUPIDLY, but it isn't the first time we've died."  
  
Red frowned. "Who are we?"  
  
The other him grinned again. "Now now... that wouldn't be very sportsman-like. I told you, we can't afford to let our brother find us yet. We aren't nearly powerful enough to deal with him. Right now what you need to do is concentrate on being YOU and ME at the same time. Your physical body is in fact dead, but you have the power to revive it if you merge your soul with your dormant astral one and use that power to resurrect yourself."  
  
Red sighed and shook his head. "Astral body? Dormant? What the hell is that supposed to mean? This is giving me a headache."  
  
The other Red frowned. "Actually if it's any consolation it's giving me one too."  
  
"That's probably because you are me." Red snapped irritated.  
  
"Don't get smart with me." the other Red groused.  
  
"You are really starting to bug me." Red growled.  
  
The two of them glared at one another before it occured to them what they'd just implied.  
  
"Something tells me this is going to take a while." Red sighed, closing his eyes and shaking his head.  
  
"Well it had better not, 'cause MINA is in danger." The other Red sneered the name. "Not to mention your corpse."  
  
"What?" Red exclaimed. "Why didn't you tell me that before?"  
  
"You didn't ask." The other Red shrugged.  
  
"Man... I'm a real asshole." Red grumbled, glaring at his tormenter.  
  
"So am I." The other Red muttered, staring at his.  
  
***  
  
A normal person would have been splattered against the wall under the onslaught of that first vicious attack.  
  
Mina was not a normal girl.  
  
Mina didn't bother to ask WHY the mountain of metal was barreling towards her. Instinct and long hours of training took over and she simply dodged quickly beneath the hissing arc of steel as it passed over head and slipped around behind the creature. Swinging her longsword two handed, she dealt it a vicious blow to the back that would have laid a normal man open in a twinkling, armor or no.  
  
Dnarc was obviously NOT a normal man.  
  
The longsword bounced off of his carapaced hide with a resounding "CLANG!" reminiscent of the great bell of Sailoon. Mina felt the shock of impact all the way through her body; the impact made her teeth ache. The thing turned it's head and growled menacingly.  
  
She laughed half-heartedly. "Right..."  
  
Turning his bulk ponderously, Dnarc raised his ax two handed high over head. He had expected the little bitch to fold under his first attack like most opponents did, and had been suprised when she'd simply not been where his ax was aimed. He knew he should be destroying the pretty boy's physical body right now, but he could never resist the pretty young thing that fate had placed on his dinnerplate, so to speak. Pretty boy wasn't going anywhere after all.  
  
Besides... pretty young girls looked SO enticing squirming in a pool of their own blood...  
  
Mina gritted her teeth as the armored horror prepared to swing downward. Any thoughts of letting herself die were completely shattered under the rush of a new emotion...  
  
Anger. Red had been torn from her, and now this tin can thought he was going to push her around?  
  
Red was the only one she tolerated pushing her around.. and THAT was only because she gave as good as she got.  
  
All of her grief and frustration turned into a black little pit of rage.  
  
The ax came down with a sound of extremely startled air-  
  
-Mina jumped back just barely enough to miss being turned into sashimi-  
  
-Then started a charge of her own... straight up the shaft of the oversized weapon.  
  
Dnarc blinked in suprise as a very determined young lady rushed up his ax and right into his face. Mina growled and gave the stunned abomination three quick, brutal blows to the head with her longsword.  
  
CLANG! CLANG! CLANG! Mina had no sooner finished with her attack then she hopped to the ground and snarled silently.  
  
Dnarc shook his head and howled in frustration, swinging his axe back and forth as though he'd hew his tiny target into kindling. Mina reacted by ducking low to the ground and tossing a fireball into his chest.  
  
It didn't seem to do anything but make him extremely angry.   
  
As though he wasn't already.  
  
"HOLD STILL!" Dnarc bellowed, smashing a nearby boulder into dust as Mina skipped around it and tossed another fireball into his face.  
  
Mina knew she couldn't keep this up forever. Already exhausted, she was tiring rapidly, and sheer anger and guts weren't enough to stand up to something that didn't bleed and seemingly couldn't be hurt. Sooner or later she was going to make a mistake.  
  
He only needed to hit her once.  
  
A sudden rumbling noise drew both of their attentions. Turning slightly, they caught sight of a large amount of rock shifting position.. then scattering away.  
  
Red brushed himself off and glared death at the monstrousity that had backed Mina into a corner.   
  
"Why don't you try picking on someone your own size?" he snorted, shaking his head.  
  
"What the hell are you supposed to be? Poster child for what NOT to do in shop class?" he grinned sarcastically.  
  
Dnarc growled and his eyes burned like two little suns. "I am DNARC, The Bloody Eyed Darkness... and I am YOUR DOOM!!"  
  
"Not in that outfit." Red brandished his great sword before him in both hands, winking at an incredulous Mina.  
  
"Let's dance."  
  
Dnarc howled and charged the infuriating pretty boy in front of him. This particular move had always served him well. In fact, it had only failed him twice before. Once while fighting Talon (he didn't even want to THINK about that) and just now while fighting that little spitfire of a girl. He assumed that being as large as he was, Red was not going to be able to avoid his attack in the long but narrow cave.  
  
He was right.  
  
It should be noted that Mina and Red took very different approaches towards large, angry, fast moving abominations. Mina, who knows she can't possibly be as strong as something that big, takes the sensible approach of moving out of the way.  
  
Red looked at things a little differently. Nothing was bigger then he was, and even if it was, he STILL wasn't going to get out of its way.  
  
Avalanches went around HIM, damn it.  
  
Dnarc was therefor very suprised when Red met his charge and blocked his swinging ax in a parry that rang down the cave like a gunshot. Sparks showered them both as Dnarc shoved forward, trying to break the obstinate Bandit's stance. Red braced himself against the armored monster's strength but Dnarc's superior weight and the lack of traction pushed him slowly back against, and then INTO the wall behind him. Dnarc's eyes glowed brilliantly crimson and he laughed.  
  
Then Red grinned fiercely and slammed his fist against the side of Dnarc's helmeted head once, twice, then three times in quick succession. Dnarc blinked muzzily, staggering a little under the lightning strike power of Red's fist, then Red braced his legs against the monster's chest and using the wall behind him as a brace, kicked the abomination clear across the room into the far wall.   
  
He stood up out of his own makeshift cubbyhole and started a charge of his own. Dnarc pushed his way out of the rubble of his landing just in time to accept the first blow in another ringing peal and scattering of sparks. The two of them continued trading blows back and forth, crushing rocks beneath them and pounding one another through walls.  
  
Neither one of them heard the high pitched, fast chanting voice behind them. Red only caught the end of it and by that time there was no time to do anything but brace himself.   
  
"-Stand, before the mighty gift bestowed in my unworthy hand!"   
  
"DRAGON SLAVE!!!" she shouted, leveling her spread hands at Dnarc's great ironclad back.  
  
The world erupted into purple hell.  
  
***  
  
"What in the name of the Gods is- EEKK!"   
  
Pix had been fluttering along furiously after Zelgadis as he made his way across the murky sky. They'd caught sight of what looked like the results of an avalanche when suddenly a maelstrom of violet hellfire had blasted out of nowhere. Under her own power, and weighing only a few ounces, Pix was helpless before the damned soul's shriek of galeforce winds that suddenly tore across the Katatoe mountains.   
  
She felt herself being torn away and struggled to maintain her altitude when a hard blue hand caught her surprisingly gently and brought her up to a tan clothed shoulder. She grabbed hold of the soft fabric and held on for dear life.  
  
"That's a Dragon Slave... one of the most powerful black magic spells ever created... and there is only one person I know who knows that spell."  
  
Zelgadis was forced to shout just to make himself heard. He dipped down lower, heading towards the center of the now diminishing ball of fury.  
  
"Lina Inverse."  
  
***  
  
Red raised his hand against the sudden intrusion of light into their battlefield and tried to peer through the steam and smoke that filled the crater he now stood in. He had lost sight of his adversary during the chaos of the Dragon Slave, and now was picking his way through the gloom, sword sweeping the air in front of him.  
  
He appreciated the help from Mina, but the two of them were going to have to have a serious talk about what was and wasn't appropriate for tunnel fighting.  
  
Soon.  
  
A sudden shout of warning from Mina dragged his attention upward just as a bellowing Dnarc made his rapid descent upon the Bandit King, his arms outstretched, ax in one hand, his other bunched into a cannonball sized fist. It seemed impossible that something weighing that much had managed to get itself up off of the ground, let alone twenty feet into the air, but Red wasn't one to debate the impossible when it was looming over his head.  
  
Besides... now he caught sight of the huge leathery armor-clad wings.  
  
Raising the ax over his head in both hands, Dnarc shrieked out his challenge in bestial fury plunging down in a wind-tearing dive who's terminus was an extremely startled bandit king. Red raised his sword and braced himself for the impact just as Dnarc slammed into him from above, the concussive force blasting them through the floor of the crater they were in and into the tunnel below...  
  
Then into the tunnel below that...  
  
Then into the tunnel below that.  
  
They finally came to rest six tunnels straight down in the honeycombed heart of the Katatoe Mountains.  
  
Mina didn't think twice, she jumped down into the large hole and made her way down into the increasingly warm depths.  
  
She'd lost Red once. She wasn't going to lose him again.  
  
***  
  
The landscape beneath the Katatoes was a picture of hell. Steam pulsed up out of the living heart of the mountain, and small gouts of flame erupted randomly out of this gas vent or that. The air was full of a sulphurous stench, and the heat made everything wavy and distorted, as though this were a bad dream.  
  
Not that any of the combatants had any time to play the tourist.  
  
Mina finally caught sight of them engaged in a furious exchange of blows at the edge of a crumbling stony precipice. The heat was so intense that she had stop for a moment to catch her breath, and she wondered vaguely how the two of them could keep this up. Levitating closer, she tried to find a way to throw in a spell that would assist her harried companion, but the two of them had chosen a very precarious location to continue their duel.  
  
Namely, the mouth of the abyss.  
  
Below them was an ocean of molten rock, bits of cooler, darker material floating on its surface. A few molten bubbles popped on the surface, giving Mina the impression that the inferno was reaching hungrily for the pair of clashing titans.  
  
Red panted wearily, barely able to fend off the last crushing series of blows. The seemingly inexhaustable juggernaut he was locked into mortal combat against chuckled triumphantly.  
  
"You're weak, pretty boy. You could NEVER be the Demon Dragon King. I will END you!"  
  
Red shook his head and snarled defiantly. He didn't know what the Demon Dragon King was, but he knew an insult when he heard one. "You haven't got me yet stove top. I have something on my side that you don't."  
  
Dnarc snorted derisively, fetching Red a blow that drove the flagging bandit king to one knee. "And what might that be?"  
  
Red braced himself on his sword and grinned. "Gravity."  
  
Dnarc blinked. "Huh?"  
  
Red shoved his sword deep into the rock and levered it outward in one quick movement. For a moment it seemed as though the projection's end would hold (and make Red look very foolish right before Dnarc killed him) then there was a gunshot cracking noise and Dnarc found himself tilting slowly backwards towards a fiery plunge. Howling in fury, his eyes glaring with the fires of the damned, he flailed out...  
  
And caught a fistful of Red's tattered overcoat.  
  
Red staggered back, but there was no way he could possibly keep his balance under such a sudden shift in his center of gravity. With a growl of his own, Red tipped out over the abyss...  
  
This would have almost certainly been the end of Red save for two things happening in quick succession.  
  
First, his downward plunge was momentarily arrested when Mina grabbed hold of his outstretched hand and jerked upward with all her might from her levitated position...  
  
And Red's overcoat gave with a sudden ripping noise not unlike an extremely loud after dinner burst of flatulence.  
  
Dnarc blinked several times at the handful of cloth in his hand before howling out in denial. Plunging downward, he spread his wings wide trying to catch the raising thermals coming off of the superheated rock, but in the horrendously heavy armor he clothed himself in it was impossible to do more then slow his descent down a hair.  
  
Bellowing in fury all the way down, he plunged into the molten rock with a hiss and a huge splash of fire.  
  
All was blessedly quiet.  
  
Red looked down sadly. "I really liked that coat too."  
  
Mina gritted her teeth as she tried to get the two of them back to the edge of the pit (and sanity). "Give it a rest... Red... that thing... was... ugly as sin."  
  
He glared upward. "Hey. I LIKED that coat. Besides, when YOU stand eight and a half feet tall, YOU try finding anything in your size."  
  
"Less talking... More... helping." she panted.  
  
Then her overstrained levitation spell gave.  
  
Red slammed his sword into the side of the cliff and braced himself. Mina pushed off of him (causing him to utter an irritated, "Hey!") and caught the edge. She tried desperately to pull herself up but there was just no way she was going to be able to-  
  
A warm blue stone hand caught her hand and lifted her bodily up out of the pit. Two pairs of eyes; one frightened and very small, the other calmly resigned, regarded her.  
  
"H-hi Mr. Zelgadis." she panted, bending over with her hands on her knees and breathing heavily.  
  
"Heh. Thats all you can say after ten years Lina Inverse? Hi? Whats with the Mr. anyway... where's Gourry?"   
  
He glanced over the edge.  
  
Looked at Mina.  
  
Glanced over again.  
  
He narrowed his eyes and scowled down at the percariously perched bandit. "YOU- What Hell did YOU crawl out of Gaav?"  
  
Red blinked.  
  
*** 


	16. The Maw of Heck and Back Again

"For many years, I've walked among you. Through the vaults of Time and Space. Kingdoms fall, leaders die as I see fit. I devour, souls of those that pose a threat. I walk the earth, another day, the wicked one, that comes this way. Savior to my own, Devil to some, Mankind falls, something wicked comes!" -Set Abominae-Something Wicked, Iced Earth  
  
A strange shadow made its hurried flight across Sailoon. It passed like a thief in the night over villages on it's path from the North, and as it did so villagers stopped in their daily toils and looked about for their loved ones, or searched the sky for the first few cold drops of rain. The shadow passed over Sentinel, drawing a sentries' attention as it passed him by in the cold, early morning. It flickered briefly across a pair of sleeping lovers, causing one to blink sleepily from her slumber and push bright red curls still damp from her all too frequent nightmares of being the Demon Dragon King. (made all the more horrifying considering the apparrel she had to wear in them... baggy overcoats? What was Gaav thinking?) Tess looked about confusedly for the disturbance that had awakened her before going back to bed. The shadow passed the glass black crater where once the Black Hills Fortress stood, further still into the unknown country beyond, until it finally entered upon the Blasted Lands.  
  
The Blasted Lands... a ring of scorched and barren desert that encompassed the whole of the Inner Lands (as Sailoonian cartographers called them now that the Magical Barrier was no longer in place. The day the barrier disappeared also marked an extreme increase in the number of suicides among Sailoonian mapmakers, as they now had to actually work for a living) marked in it's dead center by a thin ring of black blasted glass that to this day still causes instant and very painful death to any unfortunate foolish enough to touch it with their bare skin. No Sailoonian had ever seen this ring of poisoned earth. The Blasted Lands are a harsh and unforgiving place, and it breeds harsh and unforgiving people. Any curious Sailoonian explorer who might have traveled to the Blasted Lands never returned to tell the tale.  
  
Especially since the people who made the place home still harbored a thousand year old grudge against them.  
  
***  
  
The Messenger Arashi folded his black feathered wings across his back and limped his way into the temple. Those individuals in his path immediately got out of the way and bowed down low... the red triple clawmark tattoo on his cheek marked him as belonging to the warrior caste and therefore someone to be respected - and feared. He paid them no mind as he made his hurried way into the depths of the desert temple.  
  
He had more important things on his mind. Namely, One that HE respected and feared.  
  
The rough carved walls on either side depicted the history of the People. A tapestry of pain and sorrow, all starting a thousand years ago, and all because of the Inlanders. An archeologist would have been utterly enraptured (if he hadn't first been ritually disembowelled for having profaned the People's most sacred place) to see such an accurate record of times turned to dust. A thousand years ago the People had been a fair and beautiful race, migrating seasonally across the lush plains of their homeland in the same ancestoral path that their forebearers had since time immemorial, following the game that they hunted to survive.  
  
All of that was lost forever. No longer were the People a race of superb beauty. An event which none of them could have forseen or prevented had stolen their beauty from them, turning them into little more then beasts, twisting their bodies into a myriad of terrible and chaotic shapes. They had been forced from their homes and from their homeland and driven forever from the lush and beautiful place that had been the hunting grounds of their ancestors. Forced into one of the most dangerous and deadly places on the face of the planet, where a single mistake or moment of laxity and one very quickly found one's self a victim of the twisted monstrousities that made this place home (monsters, not the villagers), or scathed to white polished bone in a matter of minutes in the howling demonic sandstorms that swept the Blasted Lands unceasingly. In this vision of hell they waited...  
  
Waited and burned...  
  
Arashi stopped in the great hall where his God resided. Stopping before his diety, he prostrated himself (no easy task, since his body did not bend well at the knees. While this very well could have been due to his pride as a warrior, it was more likely because his legs were shaped like a bird's. This along with his numerous other avian traits made him uniquely suited to his appointed task) and gazed fearfully at the floor.  
  
Messengers had been killed before while presenting news. The God of the People was as fickle and brutal as the Blasted Lands. It helped that the news he had to deliver happened to be something the God had been waiting for, though Arashi had no way of knowing this.  
  
"Speak." the God's tone was benevolent, almost kind. Arashi licked his lips. Perhaps he would survive this day after all.  
  
"My Lord, the Axbearer has engaged the Soul of Fury. They clash even now in the heart of the world." He dared to look up, though not as far as the God's eyes.   
  
One avoided looking at the God's eyes if one could possibly do so.  
  
To stare too long into them was to court madness.  
  
The God smiled. "You have done well. That puts the last pieces in place." The God stood and drew up the hood of his desert cloak, smiling coldly as he did so.  
  
"Summon the warriors to the Speaking Place. Go quickly. The Time of Vengeance draws nigh."  
  
Arashi knelt frozen in shock, hardly able to believe the words he had heard. The God frowned slightly and he prostrated himself again, then ran from the room shouting joyously at the top of his lungs.  
  
Several hours later the God of the People met a countless sea of eyes, some human, others... not. Tossing back his arms, he pitched his voice outward like a thunderstorm, riveting all attention on him.  
  
Not that any present would have looked away. This was the moment they had waited a thousand years for.  
  
"My people! The Time of Vengeance draws nigh! For too long the Inlanders have profaned what is ours by right of birth, blood and sorrow. Today is the day of retribution! We shall descend upon the soft underbelly of their pathetic kingdom of light!"  
  
He paused and lowered his head, his hair falling over his eyes, obscuring them. Only his mouth could be seen, grinning as he spoke. He seemed to whisper to each of them alone...  
  
"For one thousand years, we have toiled and bled in these poisoned and desolate lands. Forsaken. Forgotten. Abused, we have languished and drunk our fill of the bitter waters of sorrow.  
  
"The time of torment has ended! Through our trial we have passed, forged and honed to purity of a razor's edge in the sands of this dying land. Now we shall drink our fill of THEIR sorrow!!! THE TIME OF VENGEANCE- NO, THE TIME OF THE TALON... HAS BEGUN!!!"  
  
He raised one gloved fist before his face and threw his head back, black fire erupting from the void of his eyes. A sound somewhere between a scream of rage and a hideous laugh emerged from his throat. As one the Tribe of the Talon rose to it's collective feet and howled their elation along with him, clashing their weapons and armor against one another in an explosion of emotion. In the din, he lowered his hand and smiled... a cold, calculating expression that none of the Talon tribesmen had the presence of mind to notice.  
  
-Pets are SO cute when they do as they are trained.- Talon thought to himself, chuckling.  
  
***  
  
"Huh?" Red blinked up at the angry blue face that scowled coldly down at him. The events of the past five minutes still raged somewhat chaotically in his mind (along with the pain of losing a loved one... where would he ever find a new coat his size?) and he had a little bit of trouble reconciling the reality of the Chimera's angry words.  
  
Calmly drawing his sword, Zelgadis gently shoo'ed a very confused little pixie off of his shoulder. Holding his sword before him, he concentrated on the blade.  
  
"ASTRAL VINE!" he thundered, impowering the blade with his shamanic magic. It flared a crimson that competed quite well with the pit of molten lava for brilliance.  
  
As well as menace.  
  
He smiled grimly, brandishing his glowing longsword before the bandit's startled gaze. "I trust you'll understand if I don't wait for you to climb all the way up. I am after all, at something of a disadvantage."  
  
Red blinked again. "Huh?"  
  
"What the hell are you DOING Mr. Zelgadis!!" Mina shrilled disbelievingly... for all of his calm demeanor she could tell he was extremely pissed off. Perhaps the fact that the small woman-bug who had been sitting on his shoulder had been trying furiously to get his attention ever since he'd warded her off and he hadn't seemed to notice yet gave her a clue.  
  
Zelgadis spared a quick, confused glance in her direction. "Mr. Zel... what the hell are you talking about Li-" he stopped, then gave her a second take.  
  
He stared rather pointedly at her chest, causing her to blush, and Pix to glare murder at him.  
  
"You're not Lina Inverse..." he seemed to realize he was staring and coughed politely into his hand, averting his eyes. "At least... not unless she's found that spell she's been looking for."  
  
"Spell?" Mina blinked. "What spell?"  
  
"Er... Nevermind. Right now what we need to do get out of here." He looked anxiously back at the lip of the pit. "I'll try to hold him off while you escape. You have to-"  
  
Mina pushed past him irritably and reached a hand down over the edge of the cliff. As Zelgadis goggled in suprise, Red took her hand and pulled himself up tiredly, crouching on the edge of the inferno once his labor had been completed and brushing off the dust that comes from being used as an impromptu wrecking ball.  
  
"Wh.. what are you doing!?" Zelgadis sputtered, his calm demeanor gone.   
  
Mina continued to ignore the confused Chimera as she looked Red over. He blinked and looked up at her. "What?" He growled somewhat irritably.  
  
She threw her arms around him and squeezed tightly, burying her face in his shoulder. For a long moment he froze; momentarily shocked at the unexpected reaction to his attitude, then he returned her embrace with sincere dignity, though the expression on his face showed his embarassment.  
  
Zelgadis' jaw dropped and his eyes goggled. "Yo- You can't hug Dark Lords!"  
  
"I thought you were dead." Mina whispered.  
  
He winced and cricked his neck making an audible pop. "I was, but I got better."  
  
Mina blinked, then shook of the impossibility of that statement; this was RED she was talking about after all.  
  
"What in the Hell is going on here?!" Zel pointed accusingly at Mina, then at Gaav, then Mina again. He couldn't seem make up his mind which was more preposterious... A Dark Lord coming back to life (apparently more then once), or an Inverse apparently caring if he was alright or not.  
  
Red sighed. "I thought you said this guy was quiet and mysterious. I'm getting kind of a more panicked, confused vibe off him."  
  
Mina turned around and put her hands on her hips. "Mr. Zelgadis... don't you remember me? It's Mina... Lina's daughter."  
  
Zelgadis frowned. He vaguely remembered a time when he used to visit the Inverses after they'd settled down. He remembered a little girl... precocious... cute... and judging from her attitude definitely following after her mother.  
  
"Oh. Well that explains the.. er.. Nevermind."  
  
He stopped looking so confused and brought himself back into composure. Composure was very important to Zelgadis. It helped him deal with the inevitable humiliating insanity that life threw at him, as though he were a character in an extremely sadistic comedy. (could there possibly be some truth to this? )"That still doesn't explain why you were hugging a Dark Lord."  
  
Red blinked. "What the heck is a Dark Lord?"  
  
Both Mina and Zelgadis stared at him in obvious surprise. He looked irritable. "What?"  
  
Zelgadis happened to notice at this point that he still had a glowing longsword in his fist. Looking somewhat irritated, he sheathed it and looked at the pixie that was still attempting to get his attention.  
  
"Master, please tell me whats going on?! Is that Gaav? Lina has a daughter! I don't understand."  
  
He frowned. "Neither do I..." he shrugged. "You packed a lunch right?"  
  
She grinned. This was ground she understood. "Of course Master Zelgadis! It's in your pack."  
  
He looked at the two battered and scorched adventurers before him. Well... counting Gaav as an adventurer of course.  
  
"I think the two of you have some explaining to do." he looked dubiously up at the startled Demon Dragon King.  
  
Mina and Red looked at each other, then shrugged.  
  
"Good thing you brought lunch." Red sighed "This is gonna take a while."  
  
It was Zel's turn to sigh. "It usually does... with an Inverse."  
  
***  
  
Lunch with a Dark Lord was an odd event for Zelgadis. A few surprises arose. For instance, contrary to what Zelgadis had originally thought, Gaav apparently either needed to eat, or was an extremely good actor. The mazoku lord ingested food like it was going out of style. Further deepening the levels of bizarreness in the whole situation, he also had impeccable table manners (more so then Mina anyway, but that was to be expected). Still, the tension around the spread that Pix had some how managed to set up (despite it being several times bigger then her) was almost palpable.  
  
Particularly when one found one's self at odds with the Dark Lord over the last chicken leg.  
  
Zelgadis found himself puzzling over this riddle as Mina (between mouthfuls) related the strange tale of the their journey for "enlightenment". Zelgadis was no fool. The "man" before him was definately Gaav, though he showed no recognition at the name. While he had been enemies with the Dark Lord before, this stemmed mostly from the fact that Gaav had been intent on killing him at the time and not so much that he was a source of evil. Zel was a pragmatic soul, and one did not get into duels with Mazoku, let alone Mazoku Lords, if one could possibly help it. Still upon seeing what he had at the time believed to be his friend, though she was later revealed to be his friend's daughter (how he could have missed her... generous... attributes was entirely beyond him) in danger, he couldn't very well have left her to deal with Gaav on her own. Still, as powerful as he was, he hadn't really had any hope of winning, so when it occured to him that he had an opportunity to avoid fighting the Demon Dragon King after all, he immediately took it.  
  
He mused over the couple (and it was obvious they were a couple, even to him) silently, the thoughts turning in his head like well oiled gears. Gaav didn't appear to be quite the bastard that he once was... certainly not the palpably evil giant that he'd been before. Granted he had been a lesser evil (though no less powerful evil) then the Hellmaster, but he'd still been undoubtedly evil. Now he was... just somewhat gruff and arrogant. It was apparent that amnesia and Mina had had a good influence on him. Zelgadis remembered that Gaav had been sealed in a human soul... perhaps wasn't completely incorrigible....  
  
That was the crux of the matter as well, because sitting before him was perhaps the only being left who could possibly lead him to what he sought.  
  
Red finished his chicken leg (yes, they'd been at odds over it, but one quickly learned not to get between a Dark Lord and his meat) and gazed at Zelgadis musingly. He was momentarily distracted when Pix began to clean up after him (why in the hell is she cleaning up here? It's a hole in the ground! Literally!) he continued to fix his unsettling gaze upon the silently brooding Chimera. Then he spoke.  
  
"So let me get this straight. I'm a Dark Lord?"  
  
Zelgadis glanced up quietly. In that impeccably confident and calm manner of his, he answered. "Yes. From the story the two of you have told me, it sounds as though by design or accident you were reborn without your memory. There is no mistaking Gaav however. There's no one in the world as big as he is."  
  
Mina frowned. "I wouldn't say that. Just before you showed up, good timing by the way, Red dispatched a... well a something that was actually a little bigger then he was."  
  
Zelgadis frowned. "Yes... most interesting. I would assume that the Dragon Slave that went off was yours, was it not?"  
  
Mina blushed. "Well... yeah. It didn't do much good though. I don't know why but everyone seems to be able to walk right through my dragon slaves... well... except for bandits that is."  
  
Zelgadis snapped his fingers. "That proves it then. Gaav.... excuse me, Red, can walk through them because he's a Dark Lord. You can't destroy a Dark Lord with another Dark Lords power, unless the Dark Lord you call upon is several times stronger then the target. You must be Gaav." He frowned. "That doesn't explain how the other individual survived your Dragon Slave though..."  
  
Red scratched his chin. "He called himself Dnarc the Bloody Eyed Darkness... that certainly sounds like a Dark Lord's name... even though it is a bit corny. Does it ring a bell?"  
  
Mina nodded. "Dnarc doesn't, but Zoana has a legend about a Bloody Eyed Darkness... supposedly he's a bed time story, but even if he was real, what's he doing all the way out here?"  
  
Red snorted. "Well, he mentioned something about me being too weak to be the Demon Dragon King. He seemed to think that he'd make a better one."  
  
Zelgadis narrowed his eyes. "Interesting. It seems we have another huge guy who's impervious to black magic, and who knows you're the Demon Dragon King, even though you've been dead for almost twenty years. How old is that legend Mina?"  
  
The light dawned in Mina's eyes. "I'd say pretty recent... maybe twenty years or so?"  
  
All three of them nodded grimly. Finally Zelgadis closed his eyes. "So twenty years ago Gaav dies, then another individual appears somewhere else who has monstrous attributes, and who wants to be the Demon Dragon King. I don't know enough about Mazoku to explain exactly what's going on, but its obvious that this Dnarc character was part of the reason why you don't remember who you were."  
  
Mina looked plaintively at Red. She couldn't believe he could be the Chaos Dragon. Mazoku were evil; they couldn't be anything else. Red wasn't evil... ok so maybe he was a little evil, but he wasn't a Dark Lord. He just couldn't be.  
  
"Does the name Gaav ring any bells Red?" she asked, more or less hoping it didn't.  
  
Red closed his eyes and concentrated hard on the name. "No. Not a one. In fact, its the only thing about this whole mess that HASN'T triggered something." he looked at Zelgadis. "Are you SURE I'm this Gaav character?"  
  
Zelgadis stood up and dusted himself off. "Well.. there's one surefire way to find out." he said matter-of-factly.  
  
Red shrugged. "Shoot."  
  
Zelgadis smiled. "I'll remember you said that."  
  
He spread his hands wide and a wind blew around him, forcing Pix to grip a pitcher handle. Red blinked in shock, his hand going involuntarily to the hilt of his sword. Mina gaped.   
  
Zelgadis pressed his hands forward as though he were tossing a ball to Red. Then he shouted words of power.  
  
"RAAAA TILT!!"  
  
The imaginary ball he'd been tossing suddenly sparked into a globe of what looked like strobing blue ball lightning. It flew from his hands and tore across the ground like a fastball aimed at some unfortunate's groin on America's Funniest Home Videos. Tossing up the blanket they'd been eating on as well as a few small plates, it struck the surprised Bandit before he could react. It engulfed him in blue flame...  
  
Red's world became a blanket of blue agony. He didn't know what the damnable statue had thrown at him but it hurt more then anything he'd ever experienced before... even the avalanche. He could feel an indefinable something, perhaps his soul, being forcably stripped from him. Standing quickly, his hair flowing straight up in the astral energy, he snarled and clenched both his hands hard into fists. Reflexes he didn't know he had clicked into place, and he forced the agony off of him, shattering the flames around him with a surprised exhalation of force. The red light that had flared in his eyes flickered and died out.  
  
Mina stared speechless. Zelgadis crossed his arms and looked smugly pleased.  
  
"I think that about proves it." Zelgadis nodded to himself.  
  
"What the hell was that?!" Mina blinked, looking at the confident Chimera.  
  
He looked at her in faint surprise. "You don't know the Ra Tilt?" he frowned. "I think perhaps your mother has neglected your education somewhat. The Ra Tilt is the most powerful shamanistic spell in existence. It attacks a Mazoku's astral body, but it doesn't harm anything that has no astral body, like human beings. It's extremely powerful... only high level mazoku can survive it. Since he reacted to it, it was obviously a threat, and since it was a threat he had to have an astral body. Since only Mazoku have astral bodies...." he shrugged, the logic of his statement obvious.  
  
Red growled. Mina glanced uneasily at him... so he was a mazoku... and he didn't look very happy.  
  
"If I had been a lower level Mazoku it would have destroyed me huh?" Red growled. "So basically you could have just killed me."  
  
Zelgadis shrugged. "I knew you were Gaav, and there is no way Gaav would have succumbed to a Ra Tilt. The last time I cast one on you, you likened it to a kitten's scratch." he grinned somewhat nastily. It wasn't every day you got a chance to get back at a Dark Lord.  
  
Red suddenly grinned. Mina recognized that grin, but by then it was too late to do anything other then start to stand up. "Right." he lashed out suddenly with a vicious right hook that rocked Zelgadis' head back.   
  
Pix shrieked in fury and flew into Red's face, grabbing one of his eyebrows in both hands and tugging with all her might.  
  
"Ow! Hey! Quit it! Yow!" he batted at her but the little thing was like an angry wasp.  
  
It didn't help that she had a deathgrip on his right eyebrow, closing his eye and throwing his depth perception off.  
  
Zelgadis slowly turned his head back to face the Demon Dragon King. He hadn't fallen down, though a very slight trickle of blood made its way down the corner of his lip. He grinned and wiped it off.  
  
"I guess we're even now?"  
  
Red scowled and batted at Pix, who had now grabbed both of his eyebrows (much to Mina's silent amusement) and was currently attempting to drag them together and make him crosseyed. "Yeah... sure... if you call off this little... girl... bug... thing. Ow."  
  
Zelgadis frowned slightly. "Pix. Come over here." She (reluctantly) complied, fussing over his very minor wound like a mother hen. He put up with her ministrations with studious grace (again, much to Mina's silent amusement) and looked at Mina with those unreadable and very human eyes set in a well chiseled (Har har) face. "If you will excuse me... I need to consider something."  
  
Red rubbed his eyebrows and grunted. Mina nodded quietly, still amused. Zelgadis walked a short distance away from them and frowned, deep in thought.  
  
"What is it Master Zelgadis?" Pix looked worriedly at him. He started, then guiltily acknowledged her presence. She was so small sometimes he forgot she was there. She deserved better then that.  
  
"Oh... I'm just torn about this whole situation Pix." he sighed, rubbing the bridge of his nose.  
  
"How so?" she chirped, sitting on his shoulder.  
  
His gaze became distant, lost in thought. "On the one hand, he's a Mazoku Lord. He shouldn't be allowed to regain his original powers. Since thats obviously linked to his memories... the world is safer if he stays the way he is."  
  
Pix frowned. "So... what does that have to do with you Master?"  
  
He sighed. "When Lina Inverse visited the Claire Bible, a golden dragon named Melgeasia led her to through the astral labyrinth that gaurded it. That dragon is gone... I haven't seen him since I got here... in fact, I haven't seen ANY dragons at all." he frowned.  
  
Pix mirrored his frown, pushing one of her antennae out of her face. "I still don't see what he has to do with this."  
  
"Gaav attacked Lina after she got the information she needed out of the Claire Bible; attacked her right in the astral labyrinth. He MUST know how to get to it... but he doesn't remember that he's Gaav. If I help him regain his memories, he'll be able to lead me to the Claire Bible... but helping a Mazoku..." he sighed.  
  
Pix frowned. She looked at the couple sitting there. Mina had taken the news that her travelling companion was a Dark Lord rather well. Actually, she wasn't sure what to think about it, but he hadn't changed... hadn't just suddenly become evil, and her feelings for him hadn't diminished, though she wasn't entirely sure how her MOTHER (DEAR GODS ABOVE) was going to take this. Red frowned irritably and crossed his arms, sulking as Mina ruffled his bangs laughing at him. They looked like any other couple in love...  
  
Pix sighed. "So what are you going to do?"  
  
"I don't know. It's maddening Pix. Do you have any idea what its like to know exactly what you want in this world, want more then anything else, to see it right before you day after day... and not be able to touch it?" he pounded his fist into his other hand and looked away, not really expecting an answer.  
  
Therefore, he missed her wistful little smile, and the momentary crack in her cheerful exterior.  
  
"Yes I do Master."  
  
"Yes I do."  
  
Zelgadis looked up. "Hmm? Did you say something."  
  
She brightened up immediately. "No Master." she sighed. "Look at them Master Zelgadis. Do you honestly think he's the same person anymore?"  
  
He looked at the two of them silently. As he did so, Gaav (or Red as he now called himself) apparently tired of Mina's teasing and poked her in the stomach with one big finger. Mina, notoriously ticklish (as Red well knew) doubled over in laughter. he lost his irritated frown and grinned.   
  
Zelgadis shook his head. "No Pix... he doesn't SEEM the same... its actually kind of... nauseating."  
  
Pix elbowed his cheek and then winced and rubbed the appendage... that was going to leave a mark. "Master Zelgadis! It's cute."  
  
Zelgadis rolled his eyes. "Whatever."  
  
Then he became serious. "Alright. If this is the hand that fate has dealt me, the least I can do is play it out." he grinned confidently. "I never been much for folding under pressure."  
  
"Hard as a rock!" Pix chirped happily, then covered her mouth. "Sorry."  
  
He rolled his eyes again and sighed.  
  
***  
  
"Why do you want to help us?" Red asked suspiciously. "We didn't exactly get off on the right foot."  
  
Zelgadis sipped his tea calmly and shrugged. "I won't lie to you, I'm not doing this out of the goodness of my heart, even though Mina IS the daughter of a good friend of mine. I'm not entirely sure that the Demon Dragon King SHOULD be born again. Still, you aren't entirely evil, so I'm willing to take my chances. With the stipulation that if you go overboard, I'll have to take you down of course."  
  
Red grinned sarcastically. "Oh of course."  
  
Zelgadis either didn't notice or didn't care (probably the latter). "The truth is, the only source of information about the cure I seek is contained in the Claire Bible, an extremely well hidden relic that is kept here, in the Katatoe Mountains. You, or I should say, the former you, knew of its location. I'm willing to help you regain your memory... in exchange for the information I need."  
  
Mina frowned. She hadn't exactly pictured Zelgadis as being quite so... mercenary in his outlook. Then again, considering his choice of travelling companions maybe she shouldn't be so surprised.  
  
Red chuckled. "I see. Entirely self interest... a motive I can understand... and agree with. Very well. I'll help you find your little book, with the stipulation that if you get in my way... I'll have to get rid of you."  
  
Zelgadis grinned coldly. "Fair enough. If we're agreed then?"  
  
Red grinned arrogantly back. "Agreed."  
  
The two of them shook hands, each trying to crush the other's hand without showing any sign of pain. Mina and Pix looked at each other wearily and sighed.  
  
"There is entirely too much machismo in this group." Mina sighed.  
  
"You said it sister." Pix replied.  
  
***  
  
Several hours after the small and exceedingly odd group had left the (recently created) cavern, a disturbance began at the edge of the lava pool. A bubble of lava grew and grew, expanding to the point of impossibility, inching its way up the pit wall as though it were some odd form of worm. As it began to run and thin at the top, a pair of faint red lights could be made out...  
  
The bubble burst and vomited forth its contents.. Dnarc dripped molten lava and bits of cooling rock, his armor and the ax (now slung on his back) white hot and impossibly undamaged. A low, feral sounding growl started in the base of his throat as he slowly made his way up the side of the pit, creating hand holds for himself by simply shoving his fists into the rock and dragging his body upwards. Reaching the edge of the pit, he pulled himself up, gazing around for his enemy. He had cooled down somewhat. Now his armor was only red hot.  
  
It was considerably cooler then the fury that burned within him.  
  
Unslinging his ax, he smashed a nearby stalagmite into dust and rock shards, howling in fury.  
  
Pretty boy would not escape him.  
  
He'd find him... he'd kill him... he'd DEVOUR HIM...  
  
Even if he had to drag himself out of the maw of hell to do it...  
  
*** 


	17. I Should Be Shot For This

"Gotta get up, I try open my eyes. I'm swimmin' through this haze, it's been around me for days. Don't wanna come down, but you were always around. And everyone's so strange, there's nothing that they can change. Take my hand... show me how this all fits in your plan. Understand... that I don't need you, I just need to.. . feel, how does it feel to crush the world in two, one more time, cause I am wasted. Feel how does it feel... to scream without a sound, one last time, cause I am wasted. -Zebrahead, Wasted  
  
As a companion of Lina Inverse, Gourry had been through his share of large explosions. One might say he was something of an explosive connisuer. From the relatively small, breathstealing concussive blasts of your average fireball, to the terrifyingly empty, raging darkness of a Giga Slave, Gourry had been through them all. He wasn't very picky about what he liked in an explosion, he really had only one criteria that decided whether he liked them or not.  
  
Namely, whether or not they were directed at him.  
  
Unsurprisingly, he was also becoming very adept at coming out of unconsciousness in very odd places without any disorientation (at least, no more then the normal disorientation he felt with being awake. For Gourry, WALKING sometimes causes disorientation). Still, one can hardly blame him when he awakened from his rather rough handling and subsequent close proximity to a large detonation in a state of extreme shock. This might have been due to the fact that he was currently bound hand and foot quite securely to a wooden stake thrust into hay covered ground.  
  
It was more likely because he was currently wearing what appeared to be a woman's bikini complete with fake breasts and a very poorly applied makeup job.  
  
He glanced around confusedly then, upon realizing the trick that cruel fate had paid on him, his head slumped forward. "Oh no... not again." he muttered miserably.  
  
Perhaps if we could only understand WHY Gourry might have uttered such words, we might have a deeper and more profound understanding of the universe and why things happen to us.  
  
Perhaps... but probably not.  
  
An individual stood before him who bore a remarkable resemblance to the strange local they'd met earlier save that now he wore what might have been a bush, (but generally bushes don't try to escape) some red facepaint (poorly applied... this pointed to him as the culprit who'd applied Gourry's unfortunate fashion statement) and what appeared to be a chicken bone through his nose-  
  
-and not much else.  
  
Well... save the pointy stick he held and liberal amounts of dirt, but that went without saying.  
  
The man watched Gourry for a moment before nodding in approval. "Good... you're awake." (It should be noted that he still used his horribly mangled accent, but for ease of translation (and to prevent an author headache) it shall be assumed that Gourry is translating in his head. There's plenty of room.)  
  
He gestured towards the rest of the group. They were all bound and dressed similarly. This included Langdelin. The only notable exceptions were Xellos and Hydra, who were nowhere to be seen.  
  
"Soon we begin... the sacrifice."  
  
***  
  
Langdelin had been forced to wear some very silly outfits in the past. In a medival society, and occasionally in religion, a person's importance is often denoted by the ridiculousness and uselessness of their clothing. (in one notable culture, the nobility in question spent the entire day getting dressed, and held court for a two hour period during which they were wheeled out by servants to be viewed by their appreciative people. Contrary to what one might think, the empire was one of the strongest in history, since the nobility had absolutely no time to do anything other then get dressed and undressed, thus relieving them of the need to overrule (read as screw up) a perfectly good democratic government. The empire eventually collapsed due to a plague of boll weevils, who devestated their cotton crops, and forced the nobility to occupy themselves in something other then fashion, thus proving the age old adage that all good things must come to an end) Part of the reason Langdelin had become a knight was that he hated getting dressed up all the time. Granted, now he had to wear armor instead, but while ridiculous, it at least served a purpose.   
  
He'd never had the occasion to dress up as a woman though.  
  
He didn't particularly care for it. His bikini bottom had an annoying tendancy to ride up that crack of his... well... buttocks. Since wiggling his hips did nothing other then cause some of the odd individuals gaurding him to look at him lecherously, (one remarked that he had a pretty mouth, to which he had thanked the man graciously and asked him if it wouldn't be too much trouble could he possibly release him... but the native had merely looked at him in confusion... no doubt unable to understand his high court speech. He really had to have a talk with mother about that. NO ONE outside of Zoana seemed to understand High Court speech.) so he was forced to simply deal with it.  
  
"Zomelgustar... deliverst Thee thine humble servant from this atrocious butt floss, for verily doth it chafe most foully." he intoned solemnly.  
  
***  
  
Seperated from boys (this being a relative term, considering the boys current apparel) by thick iron bars, the women in the group slowly began to regain consciousness. Amelia, being the youngest and therefor the most resiliant, awoke to find herself in a white bikini, shaking her head muzzily and looking about the room with a confused expression that said "what did I do last night, and why am I in a revealing outfit surrounded by very hairy men and... eww.... hairy women."  
  
"Miss Lina?" she inquired quietly. The "Miss" in question groaned and opened eyes that stared death at her tormenters. A few of them took involuntary steps (read as headlong flight) backward.  
  
"What?"  
  
"Er... nevermind Miss Lina." Amelia sighed. One learned not to get the beast's attention, especially when it was awakened without food and coffee and dealing with the fact that someone other then Mr. Gourry had to have seen it naked.  
  
Then Filia woke up.  
  
Yawning she attempted to stretch, then blinked in confusion at her bound hands. Her gaze followed her arms down to her chest, then down to her legs in confusion. Something was just not quite right about this situation.   
  
-Ah. Tied up. That would probably explain it. Well... this was... Hey. Is it cold in here... why is...-  
  
She froze.  
  
"AHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH!" she remarked reasonably, after discovering that she'd been dressed into a rather skimpy two piece frilly pink bikini.  
  
Ignoring her indignant screams, the "Elder" (so titled based on the fact that he was dirtier and hairier then the others) smiled in gap-toothed satisfaction.  
  
"Ah good. The chosen ones are all awake. We may begin."  
  
***  
  
The locals of Katatoe bowed as one to the elder, who had jumped up on what appeared to be a barrel, gesturing wildly with his pointy stick (this was the reason the locals had bowed... one did not want to be in the path of a wildly swinging pointy stick) and yelling at the top of his lungs.  
  
"Listen up Y'all! This here's a sacrifice to the Ghost of the Mountain! Brother Maynard, consult the Book of Rituals!"  
  
He waited.  
  
He waited some more.  
  
Finally one of the bowing individuals nudged the unfortunate individual (you'd be unfortunate to if your name was Maynard with appologies to anyone out there actually named Maynard...) named Maynard hard in the ribs and he fell over, looking quite embarassed.  
  
The Elder gave him an indignant look. "Well? Where is the Book of Rituals?"  
  
He fidgeted under the eyes of his compatriots. "Well... er... yer eldership sir... I was in the John and-"  
  
The Elder rolled his eyes. "Go on."  
  
Amelia looked over at Lina. "You get the feeling they haven't done this a whole lot?"  
  
Lina shook her head in exasperation. "Only I'D get sacrificed by amatuers."  
  
The luckless brother Maynard dug a toe into the dirt and continued with his excuse. "Well... er... I was out of toilet paper... and there it was with all those purdy pages-"  
  
The elder closed his eyes. "You wiped yerself with the Book of Rituals?" he clenched his fist, quietly having an apoplexy.  
  
"Not the WHOLE book... just er... pages one through fifteen."  
  
The Elder sighed, releasing his anger. "Oh well. Just get what's left Brother Maynard... and er... skip the bad part."  
  
Lina shook her head in disgust. "I'm just going to pretend I didn't hear that. I could go my whole life without that visual image."  
  
Amelia sighed. "I can't believe this is a part of Sailoon."  
  
Filia smiled to herself. "This is not happening. I'm at home... this is just a bad dream."  
  
The two of them gave Filia a concerned look.  
  
Several moments later the much relieved Brother Maynard opened the book and cleared his throat. The began to YELL AT THE TOP OF THIS LUNGS.  
  
"AND LO THE GHOST DID SAY, BUGGER OFF, I DON'T HAVE TIME TO DEAL WITH YOU IDIOTS. WE DID TAKE THIS TO MEAN THAT THE GHOST WAS PLEASED WITH OUR CONTRIBUTION OF SHEEP'S WOOL TO HIS CAUSE, BUT THEN EARL DID GET TO THINKIN' MAYHAP THE GHOST WOULD ONE DAY GET RILED, AND SO BILL SAID MAYBE WE SHOULD HAVE A PLAN IN CASE... A SACRIFICE OR SOMETHIN'. THEN BROTHER MAYNARD... " he paused and preened for a moment. " DID REMARK, HEY, MAYBE WE OUGHT TO BE WRITIN' THIS STUFF DOWN... AND THE ELDER DID AGREE."  
  
He closed the book and the elder nodded, pleased with his own contribution.  
  
Lina shook her bonds. "Someone please kill me."  
  
Filia shrieked again. "This is NOT how a ritual goes! What's WRONG with you PEOPLE?!!!"  
  
Lina shook her bonds again. "Someone please kill her!"  
  
The Elder shrugged. "So then we saw those big booms on the top of the mountain... and you folks come barrelin' down all smokin' and stuff, and we figured you riled up the ghost er somethin', so we strung y'all up as virgin sacrifices."  
  
He looked inordinately proud of himself.  
  
Lina looked up suddenly. "I have a daughter."  
  
The Elder frowned. "Er... immaculate birth?"  
  
Gourry shook his head and shuddered. "Not from my angle."  
  
Lina growled at him. "No... it was the old fashioned way."  
  
The Elder looked concerned. "Well... I guess we can't sacrifice you as a virgin..."  
  
He looked at Brother Maynard, who flipped through the book at random.  
  
Then he brightened. "In the event that enough virgins are not available, the town may substitute a crone, 'cause they're old and wise, and 'cause the old bats won't ever shut up."  
  
Lina's jaw dropped. "I AM NOT A CRONE!!!!"  
  
The elder grinned. "You'll do."  
  
Lina began to struggle furiously, frothing at the mouth.  
  
The Elder paled and cleared his throat. "Er, anyway, y'all riled up the Ghost, so y'all get sacrificed to the volcano. It's only fair. UNLESS..."  
  
The group perked up. Lina awakened from her anger fugue and looked attentive (this may have only been a ruse to draw the Elder into biting distance however).  
  
The Elder grinned. "Y'all apologize to the Ghost REALLLL loud."  
  
  
They blinked. Lina looked at Gourry, who looked over at Langdelin, and so on and so on.  
  
"Well... that doesn't sound so bad."  
  
The Elder grinned. "IN RHYME!!"  
  
They looked blank. Lina frowned. "Uh... we're really sorry....?  
  
The Elder frowned. "NO NO NO... you have to RHYME!!"  
  
Her eyebrow twitched.   
  
"I'm really sorry we got caught... When I'm done this friggin' village is gonna be a grease spot!"  
  
The villagers looked at one another in dismay. The Elder frowned. "Well... I guess that was an apology..."  
  
Langdelin shook his head. "This is unseemly. Who didst come up with this hogwash?"  
  
The Elder frowned.  
  
:Langdelin sighed again. "Very well. If I must."  
  
"I'm sorry the mountain ghost I was daring... But most of all for what I'm wearing."  
  
The villagers applauded. The Elder smiled. "Very good young man...er... woman."  
  
Langdelin glowered.  
  
Filia glowered. "You are all going to hell. You people should be ashamed of yourselves."  
  
She paused.  
  
"Oh, and I'm sorry."  
  
The Elder frowned. "What kind of rhyme was that? The apology didn't even rhyme!"  
  
Filia glowered. Her fangs showed. "What rhymes with help me, I'm on fire?"  
  
The Elder paled. "Er... moving on?"  
  
Amelia frowned in concentration, then grinned. "I'm sorry for my trespass and my rhyme.. but if you think THIS is bad, wait for Tax time."  
  
The villagers "ahemed loudly". The Elder pasted on a fake smile. "That will be all."  
  
Gourry looked trapped. He hated word games. He had a headache. He frowned. Everyone looked at him expectantly.  
  
"Er... I'm sorry for...  
  
"No..."  
  
"Um..."  
  
Ten minutes later everyone was looking a bit bored. Gourry looked miserable, then he brightened a bit.  
  
"Uh... I'm sorry for my sins and vices.... Lucky has the lowest prices?"  
  
Everyone blinked. The Elder looked confused.  
  
"Well... I suppose it rhymed..."  
  
The Elder shrugged. "Well... I guess it'll work.."  
  
The villagers clapped and heehawed and generally did what happy yokels do. This included spitting.  
  
The elder smiled. "Welp... I guess we ain't sacrificin' ya to the mountain."  
  
The companions sighed in relief.  
  
"So... does this mean we're free?" Amelia chirped.  
  
The Elder looked confused. "Ah... no... see, y'all DID go up on the forbidden mountain during our biggest grain festival, so we've gotta sacrifice ya to the grain god Wheat-Taw-Ded. Y'all understand right?"  
  
Five seperate individuals fought with all their might against their bonds, not so much struggling to get free in as much as they were trying to strangle the Elder. He took a step back.  
  
Gourry stopped. "Wait a minute!? Why did you dress us up as girls?!"  
  
The Elder grinned. "I knew y'all was gonna apologize so I thought ahead. Wheat-Taw-Ded only accepts female sacrifices." he looked inordinately proud of himself. "He's a beer god." He added. This explained everything.  
  
Langdelin growled. "Thine religion doth blow."  
  
A very large vat full of an amber fluid was wheeled out onto the hay covered floor. The heavily put upon group of adventurers stared at it in dismay.   
  
"Is that what I think it is?" Lina stared at it in undisguised alarm.  
  
Amelia sniffed, then sighed. "It smells like..."  
  
The Elder grinned. "Ma's best one hunnerd eighty proof corn whiskey. Y'all er goin' out in style!" he glanced around at the various captives and his gaze stopped on Filia.   
  
"The one that threatened me goes first."'  
  
The villagers blinked. "Uh... which one?"  
  
The Elder looked nervous. "Uh... the blonde one with the tail."  
  
Filia blinked as her stick was lifted up out of the ground by a pair of burly natives. They "Hup-hup-hupped" it over to the vat. A large plank had been set across the lid, and the two burly porters hupped right up onto it and prepared to heave her in. She stared down into it in dismay.  
  
"This is so embarassing... how can it end like this?!"  
  
The villagers began to chant. "WHEA... TAAA.... DED. WHEA... TAAA... DED."  
  
Filia shrieked (more in rage then in fear). "This is not happening!!"  
  
"OOOOOHOHOHOHOHOHOHOHO!!!" The voice cut through all the revelling like a hot knife through a mime. Everyone clasped their hands on their ears (if they could) and looked upward.   
  
Hydra floated sedately in midair, her arms crossed. She surveyed her enemies in disdain.  
  
"This is HARDLY worth my time. A bunch of peasants. Well.... it appears the greatest sorcery genius of all time most come to the rescue!!"  
  
"OOOOOOHOHOHOHOHOHOHOHOHOHO!!" The villagers scattered in all directions to avoid the banshee wail what was undoubtedly the ghost's wife. So THAT was why he was always so pissed off....  
  
The two villagers holding Filia released her in panic and ran for their lives, sanity and hearing. Filia "epped" quietly as she bounced off of the board, then down into the vat...  
  
A staff caught between her hands and she jerked to a stop inches from the liquid inside (which does not so much cause liver failure as it does simply kick the liver across the hall and step on it several times while stealing its lunch money). She blinked in suprise, then looked up to see...  
  
"XELLOS!!!" she shouted in disbelief.  
  
Xellos looked down from the position from which he hovered, holding the dragon girl from her plunge one-handed with no apparent strain. "Oh...hello Filia. Did I interrupt something?"  
  
Filia huffed. "XELLOS.. You got us all into this. I don't need any help from YOU!"  
  
Xellos seemed to consider this. "You know... I think you're right." He removed his staff and saluted her. "Cheers!"  
  
Filia blinked, then began to shout out in fury when her mouth was suddenly filled with alcohol...  
  
It should be noted that when Filia is angered (and boy has she got every right to be pissed, Xellos nonwithstanding) she has a tendency to do two things. One, is to inhale deeply in order to verbally assault her opponent. The other, is to take her more natural form, this being that of a (remarkably kawaii) golden dragon. She did both simultaniously. She stared at Xellos from the bottom of the vat, and yelled invective up at him. She hadn't apparently noticed that she was both submerged and a dragon at the moment.  
  
Xellos grinned and mimed drinking a bottle. Filia growled, then her brain informed her that it would probably be a good idea to get up into where the oxygen was. The problem was that she was now rather firmly wedged into the vat, which bulged dangerously. Her vision began to get dark...  
  
She struggled, glared, then began to drink furiously. She wasn't going down like this. She was going to drink her way to air.  
  
-Damn that Xellos... why does he always have to do this to me... I... hey... you know... maybe it's cause 'e likes me...heee hee... hey... this is kinda good.... warm...-  
  
Everyone stared in shock (with the exception of Xellos, who looked a bit concerned, though no one else noticed) as the level in the vat dropped down to less then half. Xellos frowned, then whacked the side of the vat with his staff. Something inside him was telling him (much to his dismay and consternation) that enough was enough. Somehow... seeing Filia being humiliated yet again did not bring the same rush of pleasure it once did. It was time to move on to more serious things. Talon had begun to move and Xellos needed the beleagured group to get in his way long enough to give Gaav enough time to do what Xellos wanted him to do.  
  
The vat shattered with a crash and Filia (in human form.... though clad in her bikini... it is rather hard to remain pissed when one is soused) floundered disorientedly into Xellos' arms.  
  
"Hey there stra'ger.." she cooed, her eyes refusing to focus. "You saved me."  
  
Xellos blinked. Anger he could handle. Indignation too. What the heck was this?!  
  
"I don't think-"  
  
Filia put a finger on his lips, or tried to. Instead she shoved a finger into his mouth, giggled and smiled. "Don't think... I've ben wantin' to do this fer.." she frowned.  
  
Xellos turned pale. This was beginning to look like an extremely bad idea.   
  
Amelia and Lina exchanged knowing glances.   
  
Amelia shook her head. "It's always the quiet ones."  
  
Lina frowned. "You call HER quiet?"  
  
Amelia thought about it a moment, then shrugged. "Good point."  
  
Langdelin shook his head. "Verily, she shalt regretteth this in the morning."  
  
Hydra meanwhile, was trying to slip between the bars of Langdelin and Gourry's cage, without much success. Her... er... assets were preventing her from reaching him. She was forced to do this because the bastards who had the key had run away from her in terror, though she could hardly blame them.  
  
Gourry looked at her in interest. Mainly because a young woman with large breasts trying to squeeze into a very small space is fun no matter how you look at it.  
  
Langdelin sighed. "I don't think thy plan is going to work, Lady Hydra."  
  
A sudden loud pop caught his attention. He blinked in confusion, then goggled in amazement as one of Hydra's breasts shrank from it's ridiculously huge size to a size more suited to a certain irritated sorceress.  
  
"GREAT ZOMELGUSTAR.... y-.... you stuff!" He gasped.  
  
Hydra paled and quickly slipped into the cage, hiding her chest with Langdelin's bulk. reaching into her cloak, she pulled out an uninflated spare and hastily blew it up, slipping it back into place.  
  
The illusion was perfect.  
  
Langdelin shook his head in wonder. "But... why?"  
  
Hydra sighed. "I've got a reputation to live up to. Besides... look what SHE married." she jerked a finger towards Lina.  
  
Langdelin frowned. "Good point. Still... this doth change things."  
  
Hydra sighed. "I guess I'm not the woman you thought I was Langdelin."  
  
Langdelin grinned. "Aye... t'is true. To be honest, I considered the you from before to be a plague from Zomelgustar." he looked skyward. "Ah... but more then a handful is too much of a good thing." he smiled warmly.  
  
Hydra's eyes got moist, then she shook herself and laughed.   
  
"OOOOHHHOHOHOHO!" Have no fear... I, Hydra, shall rescue you!" she looked furtively at the rest of the group. They were busy watching the improbable sight of Xellos trying to fend off an amorous dragon girl. This was quite a spectacle considering that the dragon girl had the hiccups, and everytime she hiccuped, she momentarily became a dragon. It was a testiment to Xellos' power that he was still in one piece, let alone clothed.  
  
She turned back to Langdelin and cut him free. He massaged his wrists and blinked at her. She whispered to him. "We'll discuss this later. By the way...NICE swimsuit."  
  
He blushed.  
  
Xellos was in turmoil. On the one hand, it would be very easy to take advantage of the situation. Hell... mazoku imperitive DEMANDED IT.  
  
Something in him wouldn't let him do it.  
  
Something...  
  
Something was telling him this was WRONG.  
  
Wrong?  
  
He looked up at Lina... a momentary look of confusion that she barely caught. "What have you done to me?"  
  
Lina blinked. "Huh?"  
  
He frowned then sighed. "I'm going to regret this."  
  
He tapped Filia lightly on the side of the head. She blinked, then slumped to the ground snoring peacefully. He glared at the rest of the group, then snapped his fingers. Their bonds were all released so suddenly that with the exception of Gourry they fell to the ground.  
  
"You will find your clothes in the last hut on the way out of the city. Consider us even. If you want to save your daughter..." he frowned. "Go to Sentinel."  
  
Lina frowned. "What the hell is going on Xellos? We aren't going anywhere until you level with us for once."  
  
His face took on a level of coldness that she had never seen. She shivered involuntarily.  
  
"Then your daughter will die. It makes no difference to me."  
  
With that, he disappeared in a pop of displaced air.  
  
Once they'd freed themselves, Gourry hugged his wife carefully. She blinked up at him in confusion.  
  
"Why are you being so weird Gourry?" Normally he hugged her so hard she thought her bones would creak.  
  
He smiled. "I know now Lina. I won't damage them. I wouldn't want you to lose what little you've got."  
  
Lina blinked. "Huh?"  
  
Gourry smiled.  
  
***  
  
Xellos fled in consternation. Of all the times for inconvienant side effects to pop up... WHY NOW!!  
  
DUNDUNDUN!!!  
  
***  
  
Author's Note: I would like to apologize for the length of time between this chapter and the previous one. Due to an increase in fleet operations, as well as a shift in my working schedule and just plain writer's block, this chapter has been hell to write. I wrote and rewrote it over and over again, and I'm still not entirely happy with it. I personally feel that I should be shot, but I will admit that even I think it's kinda funny. It's remarkably hard to laugh at jokes you came up with however, so maybe there's just something wrong with me. Anyway, as I stated before, while some characters are acting OCC... there is ALWAYS a reason for it. Episode 17 of the slayers series in every season has always been what my group of friends refer to as "The Crack Episode". This is the episode where we believe the writers of Slayers smoked a large amount of crack and than saw what they could come up with. Hence, I decided to do the same with my fanfic... to keep in line with the spirit of the series. Since I am not in a position nor inclination to smoke crack, I had to dredge this mess up from the foul little recesses of my overburdened mind. Hence, while it may not be on crack for Slayers, it is definately not a sane bit of literature.   
  
This is as close to an apology that I will make to anyone I may have offended.   
  
Well with the CYOA out of the way (those of you in the military will know what that means) I'd like to announce that the Slayers: Shards of Chaos Webpage is officially UP! I will provide an address below. I recommend that you all check it out... not only does it contain the final and much improved edit to the story, it also has snifty chapter art! What more could you possibly want?  
  
Well... besides world peace... but hey, I'm a sailor, not a god.  
  
Anyway, here's the address:  
  
www.amethyst-angel.com/shardsofchaos.html  
  
-AE3 Christopher T. Cuellar, AKA Dust Traveller and Luggage Puppy, USN 


	18. Getting In Touch With Your Inner Asshole

"Subconscious Strange Sensation. Unconscious relaxation. What a pleasant nightmare, and I can't wait to get there again. Every time I close my eyes. There's another vivid surprise. Another whole life waiting. Chapters unfinished fading... Closer now- Slowly coming into view. I've arrived- Blinding sunshine streaming through." Dream Theater, Strange Deja Vu  
  
  
"Alright... I want you to just relax, and take a deep breath. Good. Now another deep breath, hold it... and release. I want you to focus on my voice. Let it fill your consciousness. You are completely relaxed, completely at peace. Deeper... follow my voice. You're falling... falling..."  
  
"Asleep." Red's irritated voice cut through Zelgadis' own with concentration breaking force. The chimera threw up his hands and let out a frustrated groan.  
  
"Mina, please talk to him. OF COURSE it isn't going to work if he won't cooperate." He fixed Mina an irritated glare.   
  
"He won't cooperate because he thinks this is a waste of time." Red snapped, crossing his arms. "Stop talking about me as though I'm not here."  
  
Mina sighed. Upon concluding their little bout of manliness, the group had retreated to Zelgadis' cave (though the term "cave" hardly did it justice. Zelgadis had an amazing ability to transform random items into workable, if odd, furniture, and Pix had added just enough of a feminine touch that the "cave" was actually a rather cozy little home, if one allowed for the occasional bat and the everpresent stalag-thingy or three.) in order to try something that Zelgadis referred to as hypnotism. Mina had heard of this particular technique in White Magic spell form, but when she'd asked Zelgadis about it, he'd gotten awfully defensive for some reason.  
  
"It's not White Magic. I don't touch the stuff save for the occasional healing spell." he suppressed a shudder. "I don't believe in taking a person's will away from them, and the White Magic Hypnotism does that. What I'm talking about is a completely nonmagical theraputic technique that can help amnesia patients. It can suggest a course of action, but can't actually make a person do something they don't want to do."   
  
She blinked. "Where did you pick THIS up?"  
  
He looked evasive. "I pick up all sort of things. If something interests me, I look into it. You never know when things like this come in-"  
  
Pix gave him an annoyed look. "He picked it up from that tart , Doctor So-"  
  
Zelgadis clapped his hand over Pix and muffled what she was about to say. Blushing furiously (or at least APPEARING to, it was sometimes hard to tell with his rocky complexion) he laughed it off. "Hahaha... just sort of picked it up somewhere."   
  
Mina stared at him, a sweatdrop forming behind her head. "Oooookay..." A contemplative look crossed her features. "Why do I get the feeling there's some horribly complicated story behind this? Something vast and terribly convoluted with no apparent end in sight?"  
  
The characters all stared off into the distance... if one were watching them from afar (Which no one is... RIGHT?) one might have thought they were looking at a wall.... far far away.  
  
Somewhere, an author is smacked.  
  
***  
  
"Red, it's not working because you aren't TRYING!" Mina thwapped him upside the head. He frowned at her.  
  
"Well? It's stupid. I mean, if I knew who I was don't you think I'd have remembered by now?" he glared at Zelgadis, who shrugged and picked up his tea cup, shaking his head slowly.  
  
"Look, you said yourself, your memories are locked up. You DO have them, you're just hiding them from yourself. Maybe we WON'T be able to reach them, but I think you're suffering from something called a Multiple Personality Disorder. You've created a "safe" place for the real you, inside your head. Then this other you comes out and deals with things that are too much for Gaav to deal with."  
  
Red frowned. "This Gaav guy is a real pussy. I'm starting to like me less and less."  
  
Mina looked worried. "But... that raises a valid argument Zel. If Gaav came first, doesn't that mean that Red is... well..."  
  
Zel grinned. "A fabrication? It's entirely possible."  
  
Red started to sit up, growling. "I'll show YOU fictional you stone of a bit-"  
  
WHAAAP!  
  
Red blinked, sat back down and rubbed his head. Pix glared at him in miniscule wrath, a large pan several times her size dangling from her tiny hands.  
  
"What have I told you about threatening Master Zelgadis?"  
  
Red glowered, but continued sitting. Mina smirked. She'd have to remember that technique. She turned her attention back to the problem at hand.  
  
"Zelgadis, if Red get's his memory back, then..."  
  
Zelgadis frowned. "Well... technically there would be no further reason for the..." he looked at Red, "with apologies, personality Red anymore... He'd be completely Gaav... The Demon Dragon King."  
  
Mina paled. "No! Red... I'm starting to think maybe this whole thing isn't such a good idea... I mean.. that would be like dying..."  
  
Red scoffed. "Honestly... I'm still ME... I mean, I know what I used to be, and I'm still who I am." he looked confused. "Look, I don't quite understand all this mental crap, but I do know that right now I'm only half a person." he looked completely serious. "I want to know who I am. Regaining my memories will finally give me a place."  
  
Mina frowned. "But.. you have a place."  
  
"What?" He blinked.  
  
She grinned nervously. "Oh.. nothing... nothing."  
  
Zelgadis rolled his eyes. People were SO clueless sometimes. Why don't they see things right in front of their faces? Of course, Zelgadis completely missed the look on Pix's face, but that was to be somewhat expected. He is, after all a rock.  
  
"Look, therapy isn't an exact science. It's more of an art. We have no way of knowing what's going to happen to Red once he gets his memory back, but without them, he's only half a person, like he said."  
  
"Not to mention you don't get the information YOU want." Red grinned cynically.  
  
Zelgadis shrugged. "There is that. Look, I want you to get your memory back, for my own reasons, but I won't lie to you, there is a chance that the dominant personality will subsume the weaker personality... and Gaav did come first."  
  
Red grinned his stereotypical cocky grin. "Well then we've got nothing to worry about. I've never been anything other then dominant my whole life."  
  
Mina frowned. "This is nothing to joke about Red... are you sure about this?"  
  
Red shrugged. "Who knows? It's what I want though."  
  
Zelgadis frowned. "Well if it's what you want, then you're going to have to work with me here. Ok?"  
  
Red looked away, set his chin, then nodded. "Alright. I still think this is a waste of time."  
  
Zelgadis scratched his chin. "Pix?"  
  
"Yes master?"   
  
"It's time to break out the big guns. I want you to go get my special tea."  
  
Pix frowned worriedly. "Are you sure about that?"  
  
Zelgadis grinned. It was an evil grin. "Oh yeah. I'm sure."  
  
***  
  
"Oh wow..." Red blinked muzzily and waved his hands in front of his face. "I've got hands. Look Mina... hands! Two of 'em! Wow. I mean WOW... two of em. What a novel idea."  
  
Mina looked at Zelgadis, then in stunned curiousity at the tea cup that Red had set down. "What... the heck was IN that?"  
  
Zelgadis grinned. "Well.. let's just say that's what happens when Mrs. Fenwick's Wicked Brew goes bad."  
  
Mina blinked. Pix nodded. "Yup. Discovered that one day entirely by accident. As I recall that little episode is what made the locals call Master Zelgadis the "Ghost of the Mou-"  
  
Zelgadis cleared his throat. "AHEM. It doesn't matter where it came from, what matters is he's alot more tractable now."  
  
"What the heck have you two been DOING up here all this time?" Mina mused out loud.  
  
Zelgadis blinked.  
  
Mina shook her head. "Wait a minute... what do you mean by tractable?"  
  
Zelgadis grinned. "Watch."  
  
"RED!" Zelgadis barked.  
  
Red blinked, sat up straight and fixed his attention on Zelgadis. "YES?!"  
  
"Bugs."   
  
Red frowned, then looked down. "Holy CRAP! Bugs. LOTS OF BUGS." He drew his sword. "BIG Bugs."  
  
"Er..." Zelgadis made hasty shooing motions over Red's lap. Red frowned. Zelgadis grinned. "See... all gone."  
  
Red blinked, then grinned at Zelgadis. "Wow... you are so.... BLUE."  
  
Mina slapped her forehead. "Ok... ok... you've convinced me. Can we get on with this please?"  
  
"Ahem. Red?" he snapped his fingers in front of Red's nose. Red fixed his gaze on Zel's hand.   
  
"Blue- I mean yes?" he asked curiously.  
  
"I want you to sit back. Relax. That's good. Now take a deep breath. Let it out. Slooooowly. That's it. Just listen to my voice. Red, I want you to follow this compass with your eyes. That's it... no no.. don't try to touch it, just sit back, relax... that's it. Follow my voice. Yes. Now close your eyes, and I want you to see the number ten. Then I want you to imagine that the number ten becomes a number nine... eight... you're very relaxed, very peaceful... seven.... six.... nothing but my voice... five... I want you to imagine that you are in a dark featureless place.... when I get to zero, a man will appear in front of you. That man is you. Gaav... the Demon Dragon King. Four.... three.... two.... one.... zero..."  
  
Red blinked, then sat up and blinked his eyes open lazily. He grinned. It was not a pleasant grin. It was a devil's grin.  
  
"Red?" Mina asked hesitantly.  
  
"I don't think so." Gaav replied. "Naughty... naughty."  
  
Zelgadis frowned and put his hand on his sword. "Wha-"  
  
Gaav turned to him and his grin lengthed into a predatory snarl. "Ah. The chimera. And where is the rest of the little group? Care for another go at me little man?"  
  
He chuckled. "I'm sure you remember what happened the last time."  
  
Zelgadis growled but lowered his hand.  
  
Mina bit her lip. "Red... what's-"  
  
Gaav snapped his gaze back at her. "Stop calling me that. I'm not Red. Red's just a figment of my imagination. I am GAAV... The Demon Dragon King. Red's just a fantasy. A hiding place."  
  
Zelgadis frowned. "A hiding place... from what?"  
  
Gaav snarled silently. "My little pipsqueak of a son... who else?"  
  
Zelgadis frowned. "Who... Phibriso?... The Hellmaster has been dead for-"  
  
Gaav snorted. "No.. not the Hellmaster. He's not my son. He's just another Darklord. I know he's dead. One can hardly miss that fact after ten years."  
  
Zelgadis frowned. "Then who-"  
  
Gaav looked distant. "Haven't you figured it out yet? Oh... I forgot... you don't know about Mazoku do you? Very well... I'll enlighten you."  
  
Gaav's face became deadly serious. "When a mazoku wishes to procreate, and do bear in mind that I use the term in the loosest form possible, it simply splits a piece of it's body from it's main body. The split piece gains it's own powers... it's own abilities. It becomes a new mazoku."  
  
"Phibriso... that little shit... caught me at a very bad time. I was gravely injured by that damnable Spell of the Lord of Nightmares, though I was more then powerful enough to deal with all of YOU." he grinned at the memory. "Then HE showed up... he destroyed me with a flick of his power... but he forgot one little detail... which is funny, because he mentioned it himself."  
  
Gaav snarled. "I am chained to a human soul. Phibriso blasted me apart, and it shattered my soul into hundreds of inequal pieces. With each piece, a small bit of my astral body was attached, and so each of those things became-"  
  
Zelgadis paled (which is hard for him). "Mazoku! Dear-"  
  
Gaav shook his head. "Don't interrupt. NO, they DID NOT become Mazoku. They became something else. Something new. Hybrids if you will. Halfbreeds. Mongrels." He chuckled.  
  
"The most powerful of them began to devour the weaker... and the most powerful of them..."  
  
He snorted. "Well let's just say he's mean. So mean that I don't want him finding me until I've regained a bit of the power that was STOLEN from me." he clenched his fist.  
  
"Then that thing that attacked us.." Mina paled. "That was..."  
  
Gaav sighed. "Yes and no. Yes, that was a Shard, but no... that was not the worst of them." Gaav smiled nastily. "No... not by far."  
  
Mina shuddered. "So what you're saying is, something WORSE then Dnarc is after you as well?"  
  
Gaav shrugged. "I suppose. It hardly matters. All I need to do is kill one of the other Shards and I will have more then enough power to deal with an upstart like my "son"."  
  
His grin grew devious. He turned to Zelgadis. "Still... I'm not one to throw away useful tools. You are of some use to me. Serve me, and I will give you what you want Chimera."  
  
Zelgadis glowered. "Sorry. I don't work for Mazoku. Not even for my cure."  
  
Gaav shook his head. "Ha. How hypocritical of you. You KNOW that I am Gaav... you KNOW that I am Mazoku, and yet you serve this "Red". We are the same."  
  
Mina snapped. "NO! You are NOT the same. You're CRUEL... and EVIL... a small little man who cares for nothing other then himself! Red's nothing like you. Red's-"  
  
"A fairytale! Of course he cares for nothing! He is ME. I am HE. How COULD I care for YOU? A human? HA!" he stood, grinning evilly, a dark red shadow appeared behind him, hatred writhing around him in the form of a monstrous dragon with three heads... hissing it's fury at the world. "Look upon me and despair mortal! I am chaos incarnate... KING of demons... the very FURY of the Mazoku Race. What use is a speck like-"  
  
Zelgadis clapped sarcastically, and Gaav turned to him in confusion. "That's a very interesting little show you have there Demon Dragon King, but I'm not very impressed. If you care so little for Mina, why does Red save her time and again? Why did he come back from the dead... if not to save her? Serve Red? I do nothing of the sort. We're helping each other. If you ask me... YOU'RE trying really hard to convince yourself that you AREN'T the same person. Because you ARE the "Demon Dragon King.... and you are also a little speck.. as you call it. A mortal. Just like us. And mortals CARE. DON'T they... Gaav?"  
  
Mina looked up at him with tears in her eyes. "Red..."  
  
The Demon Dragon King frowned, and his aura vanished. "I am not mortal. I will admit that I am shackled to this mortal soul. I will also admit that it has it's uses... and it's... hindrances. If I could quit it I would. It does not change the fact that I am mazoku."  
  
He turned to Mina. "Your attachment to this... fabrication will only bring you pain. Mazoku ARE pain my dear. It is time you understood that."  
  
Mina snapped. "No! I refuse to believe it!" She rushed up to him and pounded on his chest, sobbing. "Bring him back. Bring Red back damn you!"  
  
The Demon Dragon Kings eyes widened in surprise. "This... this is..."  
  
"Bring him back.. bring him back! I won't LET him be a fantasy!"  
  
The Chaos Dragon threw back his head and howled. His aura burst forth, scattering furniture around the room in a whirlwind of destruction. Zelgadis was thrown against a wall hard enough to knock the wind out of him, and he barely had enough strength to reach out a hand and catch a shrieking Pix before she made a Pix sized splatter mark on the wall.  
  
As suddenly as it began, the miasma of violence stopped, and the room was quiet save for Mina's quiet sobs and the large man's laboured breathing.  
  
"Bring him.. back." Mina sobbed, and started to pound his chest again. Huge hands engulfed her own and she stopped looking up.  
  
"R-Red?"  
  
Red grinned tiredly at her. "Hey... what's wrong? Did I tell you you were fat or something?"  
  
Mina wrinkled her nose. "What? Red? Is that you?"  
  
It was his turn to look confused. "Who the hell else would I be?"  
  
Zelgadis coughed. "Gaav."  
  
Red turned. "Huh?"  
  
Pix nodded. "That's right." she frowned. "Do you have any idea how much of a mess you made for me to clean up?"  
  
Red looked around, bewildered. "I... I did this? Man... I really AM an asshole!"  
  
Mina hugged him desperately, her eyes full of happy tears. "I... I'm so..."  
  
"My My My.... quite the little love scene you've got going on here pretty boy." A baritone voice like a bandsaw cutting through a half ton of beef sounded from the entrance of the cave. The startled group looked toward the entrance, where it appeared as though a large boulder had been placed in front of the only way out.  
  
A large boulder clad in stygian black armor and carrying the mother of all axes.   
  
"Too bad for you... I've always been fonder... of tragedies." From the entrance, Dnarc glared in balefully. There was no escape for them this time.  
  
***  
  
Once again, Garret had drawn gaurd duty, and once again he was bored out of his skull. He didn't know what he'd done to piss off the Captain, but it must have been pretty bad. Ever since that huge reprimand the gaurd had gotten after some damn fool archer had gotten piss drunk and fallen off the side of the North Wall, the Captain had taken to doing rounds of her own.  
  
Which of course meant that one never knew when the Ice Queen would show up, which meant that one now had to stay awake sober and bored for the entire eight hour shift.  
  
Garret wished SOMETHING would happen. Anything... Like that Bandit King character trying to sneak through... why if Garret had his way, he'd show that upstart a thing or two. Pow! Whack! Right in the kisser. He grinned. Speaking of kisser, the Captain wasn't perfect either. She'd sported a nice bruise on her pretty jaw for a week afterward. Too bad the ol' Bandit King hadn't put her out of Sentinel's misery.  
  
He stretched lazily and heard a strange whistling noise and a thunk. Turning, he looked at the sentry next to him.  
  
"Hey Ed... did you hear that?" he asked, with a puzzled look on his face.  
  
Ed responded after a long silence by reasonably falling face forward.  
  
One generally did this when one had an arrow sticking out of one's eye socket.  
  
His eyes widening, Garret looked behind him to the wall he had been leaning against. An arrow quivered silently. If he hadn't stretched... he'd have been a dead man too.  
  
"Holy Cephied! He dropped his spear and ran inside, dodging a sudden hail of arrows. Hitting the lever for the Portcullis, he then rang the Watch Bell, shouting at the top of his lungs.  
  
The scouts slipped quietly away. The siege of Sentinel had begun.  
  
***  
  
"Why won't you talk to me Tess?" Valgaav frowned in quiet frustration. "What happened?"  
  
"Look Valgaav, I don't want to talk about it ok? It's nothing you can help with. It doesn't matter anyway." she turned and touched his face. "It doesn't change anything between us."  
  
"But it troubles you. I want to help." his eyes pleaded with her.  
  
She sighed. He just didn't understand. "Look I-"  
  
Someone burst in on them, which was bad because they were naked. The gaurd gulped. This was almost worse then what he had to report.  
  
"Er... sorry sir... Er ma'am... Er..."  
  
"Nevermind that Seargant." Tess snapped, pulling on a shirt and her boots. Valgaav did the same.  
  
"Er... yes sir... er.. Ma'am. Sir the watch reports.... that... we're... we're under attack."  
  
Her eyes widened. "What? When? Nevermind... Assemble the gaurd. Man the walls. Lieutenant-" she turned to Valgaav, all business now.  
  
Valgaav turned to her. "Yes Ma'am?" Valgaav nodded shortly.  
  
"Get with the officer of the watch and get me a status report... I'll be out shortly." He threw on his uniform and prepared to go out the door. The guard stood with him, babbling a muddled report.  
  
Her face softened. "Valgaav..."  
  
He turned to her and frowned. "Yes ma'am."  
  
We'll talk.. later." she said quietly.  
  
He nodded. If there was a later.  
  
***  
  
Tess stood on top of the wall in full battlegear (field plate) and frowned. There was no sign of the enemy... perhaps the gaurd had made a mistake...  
  
A soldier next to her gasped and pointed.... "There! Dear... gods... there's thousands of 'em! Wha... what are they!"  
  
"Secure that shit soldier!" She snapped, looking where he had pointed... and her eyes widened as well.  
  
A veritable sea of black forms, some huge and nightmarish, others small and almost human made their way towards the walls. A thousand torches burned in the night like a sea of flame... A strictly regimented group of monstrousities hovered above this host like a cloud of terrible black flies preparing to feast.  
  
She licked her lips. "Oh... my." Her grip tightened on her bastard sword.  
  
The War Host of the Talen had arrived.  
  
*** 


	19. I think I Saw This In An ADnD Game Once

"Hello me, it's me again. You can subdue but never tame me. Gives me a migraine headache, sinkin' down to your level. Yeah just keep on thinkin' it's my fault, and stay an inch or two out of kicking distance! Mankind has got ta know.. it's limitations." Megadeth, Sweating Bullets  
  
  
Arashi once again found himself in the presence of his God. He supposed this was because he was the greatest of his people's warriors, but it was more likely due to his having been less affected by his people's curse then the others.. ironically the very features which made him acceptable to be in his God's presence often caused him to be scorned by his people. Fair of face and relatively fair of body save for his wings and birdlike legs, he reminded his people too much of what they had once been. Talon had taught them that they were being punished for the times before the Scarring.. why should one of their number be less scarred then the rest?  
  
Even Arashi had to admit it wasn't fair that he should be less fully Scarred then his brothers. He accepted his aloofness with quiet strength and dignity, and though he was mistrusted for his differences, none could argue his competance and battle prowess. He led the elite Striking Talons division. The group of fearsome flying warriors and scouts was second only to the Bloodgaurd. The nineteen Bloodgaurd, each with one of their original eyes replaced by a blood red ruby, waited impassively in the huge expanse of Talen's pavilion. Arashi looked at them and shivered. He'd known a few of the men before they'd become Bloodgaurds and when they'd gouged out their eyes for the honor of serving their God and master personally, it had been as though they'd gouged out their very souls for him as well. Though they were immensely powerful, and completely invulnerable (Arashi had seen one stand up after losing his head and reattach the severed body part without a single change of facial expression) Arashi preferred his admittedly rather limited freedom then the overzealous servitude they lived.  
  
Not that he'd ever admit this to anyone other than himself. He wasn't a fool.  
  
He entered into Talen's presence and knelt. His master was hunched over a board marked with checkered white and black squares upon which numerous small figurines were placed at seemingly random intervals. Arashi stared at it in curious confusion. He'd seen his God staring at this same board many times, though he'd never divined it's purpose. His God apparently noticed his gaze and looked up.  
  
"You have something to report?" he asked, his tone bespeaking boredom.  
  
"My lord, the Striking Talons are in position, and I have received similar reports from all other divisions. The enemy appears to be content to allow us to make the first move... we have had no reports of any attempts from them to make any offensive manuevers."  
  
Talen smiled. "Of course not. Queen Sailoon has turned her army into a glorified police force. They aren't taught anything other then how to defend their positions." He frowned. "Still... they are vastly outnumbered though admittedly in a highly defensible position... It is a wonder that they haven't fled in the face of such vastly unfavorable odds. One wonders what sort of commander Sentinel has drawn that he commands such loyalty." He closed his eyes and concentrated. Arashi waited patiently. He was used to his God's eccentricities.   
  
Talen opened his eyes and smiled. "Ah I see... how very interesting. The commander is a Shard. How unfortunate for her."  
  
He rested his elbow on the board and looked deep in thought. "We will allow them to get complacent, tired and exhausted from waiting for the inevitable blow all night... while we rest from our long march. At dawn.... first light... We attack."  
  
Arashi nodded. "As you wish my Lord... will that be all?"  
  
His eyes snapped to the still kneeling Arashi. "Oh do get up. It strains my neck trying to look at you like that.... Arashi was it?"  
  
Arashi stood and nodded. "Arashi it is my Lord..."  
  
Talen's grin grew sly. "I noticed you seem interested in my Chessboard. Have a few... questions for your God do you?"  
  
Arashi paled. "No... my Lord I would never presume-"  
  
Talen waved his hand. "Of course you would. Everyone does. You just wouldn't out loud. How very loyal of you. Sit down. I'm feeling... magnanimous today. I will answer any questions you might have." he smiled. Talen enjoyed playing with his pawns... rather like a cat will play with a mouse.  
  
Hesistantly, Arashi seated himself opposite his God. Sitting in a chair not designed for his frame was far more painful then kneeling, but he dared not show discomfort in his God's presence.  
  
Talen tapped his chin gently, then waved his hand. "Go ahead, noble Arashi. Ask your... questions."  
  
Arashi frowned, then seemed to resolve himself. If he were going to die today, then so it would be. "Lord... Why do you maneuver the Axeman to fight the Soul of Fury? Regardless of who wins the conflict, the victor would become a greater threat-"  
  
"Greater then me, Arashi?" Talen asked mildly.  
  
Arashi shook his head. "Never... still... I cannot divine the meaning behind it... Lord."  
  
Talen smiled and gestured at the board. "Very well... this board is the explanation."  
  
Arashi blinked. "I don't..."  
  
"Of course not. You couldn't. Not yet anyway... possibly not ever. I will try to explain it however. In the game of chess, each piece has a very specific form of movement. The object of the game is to manuever these pieces about the board, capture your opponents pieces, and finally... force your opponent's king..." he gestured at a miniature... an older man with a crown and a sword. "Into a position from which he cannot escape."  
  
Arashi frowned.  
  
"This game mimics life. The best way to defeat someone is to know which way he will move... given a stimulus." Talen's grin became a sneer. "This is what I have done. Dnarc is my piece... my knight if you will. I know how he will move, no matter what forces are arrayed against him. He is a very simple creature... he is motivated by simple instincts. No matter how powerful he should become, should he defeat The Soul of Fury, though I highly doubt it, he will always be what he is... A Knight... nothing more. He cannot defeat me."  
  
Arashi widened his eyes. "But what if the Soul of Fury wins?"  
  
"Ah... there in lies the masterstroke of my plan. Remember, a piece can only be planned for if one knows how it will move." He gestured at a figurine of a woman with a crown and a wand. "This is a queen. Tell me, how would you capture it?"  
  
"I could not....." Arashi blinked.   
  
"... Because you don't know how it moves." Talen finished. "This is how the Soul of Fury is now... unpredictable... human and mazoku... but more human then mazoku. Humans, as we all know, are unpredictable... it is only due to their limited power that they are prevented from ruling over us all. As a human with the immense power of a mazoku, the Soul of Fury is nearly unbeatable." he grinned. "Now... suppose he destroys Dnarc. He claims the power Dnarc once held... and the Soul of Fury is no more. He becomes Gaav, the Demon Dragon King. In short, he becomes his old self... still thinking in mazoku terms... motivated by mazoku needs... wants... fears.... he becomes a mazoku with the frailties of a human, one who discounts a human's strengths as weaknesses. His moves become predictable." He tipped the queen over. It fell on its side and rolled back and forth along the axis of its base.  
  
"In short he becomes just another piece on the board... Gaav was defeated before, by a combination of underestimating his various opponents, and refusing to back off once he realized that he was beaten. He can be defeated again. Regardless of how powerful he might become."  
  
"Everything can be determined this way... even Xellos, cunning trickster and mazoku that he is, can be planned for... he will always be motivated by self interest , and because of this, he assumes everyone else is motivated by the same. I show him a man bent on conquering Sailoon with the intent of ruling over all... and that is what he sees, because it is what he WANTS and expects to see."  
  
Arashi snapped his fingers. "He cannot see that you intend to destroy Sailoon and return it to it's rightful people..." His face was full of admiration, respect, and enlightenment.  
  
Talen smiled, trying to keep from laughing in the ignorant savage's face. Save it for barbarians? If Arashi knew his true motivations... the REAL reason why Talen had uprooted the monsterous clan... he chuckled. "Just so... just so."  
  
Arashi's eyes widened. "All of this can be determined from a simple game?"  
  
Talen shrugged. "The basic rules are the same in any conflict... what is a game but conflict?"  
  
"Would you teach me this game... Lord?" he asked hesitantly.  
  
Talen seemed to think about this for a moment, then he smiled. "Very well. I grow tired of simply playing against myself. Perhaps you will produce some... amusement for me."  
  
The night moved on...  
  
***  
  
Red snarled at the ironclad giant taking up the entirety of their way out. Pushing Mina to the side, he drew his monstrous two handed sword and grinned mockingly at Dnarc. "Damn - I was hoping your little bath might improve your looks a bit. I see that was a lost cause."  
  
Dnarc's eyes glittered. "Heh. Perhaps, but then, looks aren't everything. I see no "gravity" to save you this time Pretty Boy."  
  
Zelgadis whispered something Pix. She listened with wide eyes, then nodded determinedly and braced herself.  
  
Mina drew her own longsword and growled. "I am getting so tired of this blustering crap! I get enough of it from him." She jerked a finger at Red.  
  
"Hey!" He glared at her.  
  
"Enough of this. You DIE!" Dnarc roared.  
  
Zelgadis took a deep breath, and in a perfect pitchers stance, threw a fast ball (namely, Pix) at the metal monster before them. With the added momentum provided by Zelgadis' not inconsiderable strength, Pix made a whizzing beeline; straight past Dnarc. He started involuntarily, then looked at the grinning chimera as though noticing him for the first time.  
  
"What was..."  
  
"Mina, Red... hold him off for a second!" Zelgadis bellowed as he began to advance, muttering beneath his breath.  
  
Red, who was already in motion, grinned in response. "Whatever!" He struck the slightly distracted abomination with his shoulder and drove him back out of the cave entrance. Mina sighed.  
  
"Here we go again..." she shrugged and followed him out.   
  
***  
  
Tess drank black coffee, crouched on the wall underneath a cloak to ward off the night's chill. Once the initial panic of seeing such a huge army arrayed against them had worn itself off, the gaurds of Sentinel had reacted admirably; following their Captain's hastily barked orders with great efficiency. The first order of business had been to get the noncombatants out of the city, which the noncombatants in question, mostly merchants, women, children, and the elderly, had been more than happy to oblige. A surprising number of men and women chose not to leave however, and these were either given weapons and sent to man the walls, or if they had any healer training what so ever, were sent to the tents to assist with the casualties that would be coming in. Tess's grip on her bastard sword tightened when she considered how many casualties they would undoubtedly take...   
  
All in all the beleagured forces of Sentinel city numbered some five thousand, five hundred souls, barely four thousand of which could be considered professional. The early estimates of the army arranged against them, if one took into account that the actual number could not be divined since a large majority of it extended beyond the horizon, numbered somewhere in the hundreds of thousands, if not millions...  
  
-Where in the hell did an army this size appear from? Why have there been no reports of troop buildups? Where the HELL is Queen Amelia?-  
  
These questions boiled over in her mind and she could make no sense of it. The army seemed to be content to wait at the moment, and she'd ordered her troops to sleep in four hour shifts, catching as much rest as they could before the coming battle. She had a feeling... they would need it.  
  
As she finished her coffee a great roaring cry could be heard from outside the gates... as the first rays of sunlight struck the wall, the barbarian horde began to move.  
  
A few of the troops around her muttered curses. She grinned. "Well boys... looks like they don't have enough manners to at least wait for breakfast."  
  
A few uneasy chuckles greeted her admittedly poor jest. Her gaze hardened. "Lets teach them what civilization is all about."  
  
"MAN THE CANNONS!"  
  
***  
  
Dnarc finally managed to throw Red back from him, charging immediately after the off balance bandit with a vicious two handed ax blow. Red continued his backwards stumble, throwing himself out of the axe's whistling path and coming to a crouching halt a short distance away. Several micrometeors struck the behemoth as Mina unleashed a Burst Rondo at him. Growling, Dnarc shrugged the attack and brought his ax down on Red as though he were attempting to chop firewood. The Bandit King met his attack with a two handed upwards parry, standing as he did so.  
  
"RAAA TILT!" Zelgadis shouted, throwing a screaming ball of astral energy in Dnarc's direction. The ball tore up the ground on it's path toward the monster. Passing by the straining axeman by a hair, it passed harmlessly by. Dnarc grinned.  
  
"Ha! You missed!"  
  
Zelgadis cracked a grim smile. "Did I now?"  
  
Red forced Dnarc back a bit and backed up several feet, an incredulous look on his face. Dnarc grinned. "Finally learning your lesson, Pretty Boy?"  
  
Red grinned. "You might want to turn around big boy."  
  
Dnarc blinked. "I'm not falling for..." he suddenly noticed that his shadow had been thrown in stark relief... too stark for the early morning. He turned slightly. His eyes widened at what he saw...  
  
Pix, now the center of a much larger ball of raging blue astral flame, pointed, winked, and smiled at the stunned Shard. The now several times multiplied Ra Tilt shrieked forward, catching Dnarc square in the chest. For the second time in his life (the first being his fight with Talen) Dnarc felt his soul being rent asunder.  
  
He shrieked high and loud, his wings coming out at full extension.  
  
Red did a double take. "Holy shit! You scream like a girl!!"  
  
Dnarc clutched his head in agony, then began lurching around smashing anything in his path. The pain and fear hitting him in equal measure, he reacted as any large animal would when backed into a corner.  
  
He went berserk.  
  
***  
  
"FIRE!!"  
  
The sound of Sentinel City's BattleCannon being fired in anger rattled down the pass for the first time since their construction.   
  
Sentinel was the most important choke point for entrance into Sailoon from the south. Amelia might have been peaceloving, but she was not a fool. Ten years had given Sailoon plenty of time to develop (With the aid of Outland imports) workable cannons. The BattleCannon, of which there were four, were loaded with large canisters filled to the brim with thousands of tiny one inch in diameter lead balls... The end result being that when the first cannon sounded... the front rank of Talen's army simply disintegrated into a red cloud of gristle and gore. The next rank charged over the bodies of their bretheren, religious fervor glinting like madness in their eyes. The next cannon sounded shortly afterword, turning the the charging rank into a bleeding mound fifty yards from the City gates. Still they kept coming... The next cannon fired, again they were decimated, and again the army continued it's inexorable approach. Several troops on the city's walls turned away in disgust, losing what little food they had managed to wolf down in the process. Even Tess paled a bit.  
  
"Gods... such slaughter. Who could be leading them?" she asked in horrified wonder.  
  
"'Ware above!!!" A startled shriek cut through the din of the cannon fire. She glanced upward, blinking in surprise as a cloud of closely formationed soldiers with wings passed overhead. In pairs they circled overhead, each pair carrying what appeared to be a loaded down blanket...  
  
Her eyes widened in sudden realization. "SHIELDS!!!"  
  
The army raised shields suddenly as each pair of flying warriors flipped their blanket over with a snap...  
  
Raining hundreds of yard long steel fletchettes weighted so that the sharp end would fall head first. A thunderous rain of metal struck shields... and the occasional body. Soldiers screamed and clutched horrible wounds, blood pulsing out in a pool, making the walkways slippery. One of the two cannons mounted on the upper deck exploded as it's crew, unable to take shelter in time, was horribly pinioned to the deck around their cannon. Their suffering was short-lived, as a lit torch dropped from a nerveless hand lit a powder keg. Black smoke poured from the ruined cannon and it's mounting, blowing out over the battlefield and playing hell with visibility. Tess gritted her teeth.  
  
"Archers! Take aim!! Fire!" A thousand bow strings sang, and arrows arced up into the air...  
  
A scant fifty flying warriors dropped from the sky with startled shrieks, spinning helplessly out of control in their agonies. The troops were flying far to high for the arrows to have any marked effect.  
  
"Damn!" she swore as the rest of the group turned sedately and headed back towards their lines... presumably to retrieve more ammo.  
  
Valgaav narrowed his eyes and picked up his favored weapon, a long pike.  
  
"Captain... leave this to me."  
  
Without giving her time to argue, Valgaav's wings sprouted and with a enraged cry he flew up...  
  
To face impossible odds....  
  
***  
  
The first blow from the blazing, shrieking juggernaut tossed Red casually aside and into the side of the mountain with bone-jarring force. Standing woozily, he was fetched another resounding blow that forced him onto his back, straining with his great sword to keep the cruel serrated edge of the ax from his sweating face.  
  
Zelgadis shouted a quick Astral Vine and charged to the Bandit King's aid, only to be tossed aside with a maddened backhanded swipe of the creature's melon sized gauntlet. Landing hard, he spit out blood.  
  
"Damn! What the hell is this guy?!"  
  
"Really... pissed... off..." Red muttered, the serrated edge coming inexorably closer to his face.  
  
Mina shrieked a warcry and charged forward, leaping high into the air. Red's eyes widened.   
  
"YAAAAAAAAAAHHHAAAAAAAAAOOOOOHHHHSHIIIIIIIIIIITTTTTT!"   
  
Mina was beginning to realize that charging a burning mountain of metal was not the most intelligent thing she'd ever done.  
  
Landing heavily, sword first onto Dnarc's back, she shoved her sword into the joint of his armor between his wing and his shoulder. The creature immediately dropped his ax and staggered back, releasing his high pitched shriek again. Mina twisted the sword back and forth, gritting her teeth. Black blood spouted up at her, and one of Dnarc's wings went limp. Growling in hatred, the juggernaut reached behind him and caught hold of Mina's leg. Ripping her cruelly from her precarious perch, he wrenched her off of his back. Her longsword snapped with a high pitched whine, as though the weapon were screaming a deathcry, and she was left with a hilt and less then a foot of blade.  
  
Screaming incoherantly in her face, Dnarc threw her full force into the mountainside. Surprisingly, as she flew, her thoughts were of her sword.  
  
-My dad gave me this sword... this was my...- anything else she might have thought was lost when she impacted with the mountainside. She slid down heavily and collapsed into a heap.  
  
Then she didn't move.  
  
***  
  
Arashi heard a sudden rush of air and several startled cries cut brutally short. Glancing backward, he was startled to see four of his troops spiraling down towards the earth...  
  
In eight seperate pieces.  
  
He barked an order and the ninety remaining Striking Talons scattered and drew close combat weapons, the deadly double-headed pike of the desert people. Floating several yards above them, a strangely calm green haired man hovered with only a blood covered pike, his hair hiding his eyes.  
  
"Who the hell are you?!" Arashi wondered out loud, his own pike in front of him.  
  
The man smiled. "Lieutenant Valgaav, Her Majesty's First Airborne Division." He joked quietly.  
  
Arashi blinked.  
  
***  
  
Tess forced herself to ignore her lover's struggle in the sky, which was much too far away and full of confused movement to follow anyway. When he got back, she'd either have to promote him, or kill him... depending on her mood.  
  
She had much more pressing problems at hand. The horde had gotten to the city's walls over the thousands of its dead, despite the best efforts of her two remaining cannons. The barrel to her third cannon, on the lower deck, had split. The gun crew there, while trying their best to replace it, would probably be out of the rest of the conflict.  
  
Whichever way it went.  
  
The ladders and arrows began to fly, and Tess and her squad began the brutal task of pushing said ladders back over, sending shrieking barbarians down to land with bone-crushing impact on their fellows. The gaurd also began tossing down rocks, furniture, arrows, spears, livestock, thier own dead... anything that had any heft to it in an attempt to kill as many of the barbarians as was at all possible.  
  
The body count grew...  
  
The battle raged on.  
  
***  
  
Seeing Mina's limp body strike the mountainside, Red's eyes widened. He stood up with a roar.  
  
"NOOOOOOOOOO!!" He charged forward, bellowing, his sword raised high. Dnarc stumbling backwards, trying vainly to reach the broken blade in his back, threw up a hand to ward off the Red's shrieking blade.  
  
The hand dropped to the ground, twitching feebly as Red's blade sheared through it completely and scraped down the front of the monster's iron breastplate, showering the Bandit King with sparks.  
  
"AHHRHHAHHRGGG!" Dnarc articulated as he stumbled backwards. He flailed his useless stump at the enraged Red as though this might entice him to stop battering him with blows.  
  
Red would have none of it. The monster's breastplate dented and deformed under Red's fury, driving the juggernaut to his knees.  
  
Switching targets, he now focused his attacks on the creature's armored head, battering it over and over again in his blind fury.  
  
The first blow sheared off a horn.  
  
The second left a huge dent in the left cheekguard. Black fluid pattered down onto the creatures breastplate.  
  
The third shattered the helmet completely. Dnarc gurgled and fell heavily onto his back, his breath coming in shuddering gasps.  
  
Red laid his sword point on the creatures battered chest and snarled...  
  
Then gasped in surprise and disgust.  
  
Revealed before him was a twisted mockery of human and reptilian features, one pupil-less eye staring at him in burning red fury, the other shattered and dead... leaking black blood. Breath burbled through a throat deformed by huge interlocking scales with odd bristling hairs sprouting between them. The left side of the face was was shattered, but most of the damage had been done by nature.  
  
It smiled.  
  
"Ouch..." a weak voice sounded behind him.  
  
He whipped his head around to watch Mina stagger up from her previous location; prone on the floor, and limp towards him.  
  
"Mina... you... you're alive..?!"  
  
"Yeah... something broke my fall... I think it was my spleen." She winced, taking hold of his shoulder to straighten herself.  
  
"It was me." an irritated voice sounded from the depression she'd left in the rock. She blinked and looked wearily at it.  
  
Zelgadis stumbled out of the hole and brushed dust from his clothing, looking irritable but none the worse for wear.  
  
"Oh... thanks." she grinned woozily.  
  
"Please don't mention it." he walked up and looked over Red's shoulder.  
  
"Yuck... someone beat him within an inch of his life with the ugly stick." Pix landed on his shoulder and nodded.  
  
"Did I do well master?"  
  
"Perfectly Pix - all that training paid off. You redirected that Ra Tilt like a pro."  
  
She clapped her hands and blushed. "Yay! Thank you master!" she kissed his cheek.  
  
"Er.... you're welcome Pix." He had the grace to look embarassed.  
  
Mina grinned. Red frowned.  
  
"Well... at least now we know why this guy calls me "Pretty Boy"..." Red stared curiously at the monstrousity prone before them. Dnarc coughed wetly.  
  
"Damn you.... how? How did... you?"  
  
Red grinned. "By myself, I don't think I could have taken you. You're quite the juggernaut... but you made one error."  
  
Red threw his arm around Mina and Zelgadis, who looked stunned as he drew them into a hug.  
  
"My friends here watched my back and beat the livin' hell out of you, distracted you enough to make you careless. Well, that and you pissed me off... no one beats on Mina and gets away with it."  
  
Mina blushed. Zelgadis rolled his eyes. "Thanks... I think."  
  
Red released them and grinned nastily down the length of his blade at Dnarc. "You lost because you're a coward, big guy. You hide yourself in that mountain of metal, bullying those weaker then you - the defenseless - but I can't say I blame you.. I'd probably hide myself too if I looked like the ass end of a dragon."  
  
Dnarc spat out blood and several teeth and chuckled wetly. "So you think it's that easy, do you? You may have defeated me, but we'll be meeting in Hell soon enough Pretty Boy... Talen will make short work of you.... he's twenty times worse then me... he's GLRRURRRK!"  
  
Dnarc was suddenly cut off as Red casually leaned on his blade hard enough to shove it into the mortally wounded Axeman's breastplate. The blade slid slowly in, then crunched through and into the ground. Dnarc shuddered convulsively, then gasped out one last groaning sigh.  
  
"Sorry... I never was one for long-winded death speeches." Red replied pleasantly, withdrawing his sword from the creature's chest.  
  
Mina blinked and gulped but did not argue. One does not argue with someone who just pushed a yard of steel through someone else's chest. Particularly if that chest happened to be covered in a half-inch of Stygian iron..   
  
"So what now?" Zelgadis asked, completely nonchalant about Dnarc's rather casual murder. Pix, for her part, had winced and turned a bit green.  
  
As if in answer, Dnarc's body shuddered suddenly, then turned to dust. A strange red light flickered around it for a moment, then struck Red like lightning. His eyes jerked impossibly wide and he arched his back, dropping his sword and roaring as a blast of fire rocketed for the heavens. A huge form appeared behind him... a twisting, three-headed dragon, all three heads shrieking triumphantly to the sky.  
  
As Mina and Zelgadis watched, stunned, the roar became a growling laugh.   
  
"Ha! HAHAHAHAHAHA! I... AM.... REBORN!!!"  
  
The Chaos Dragon had returned.  
  
***  
  
Tess shoved her bastard sword prefunctorily through another faceless barbarian and kicked its twitching body back off of the walls. Her arms were two leaden weights, and her world was casual slaughter, and meaningless death...  
  
She looked blearily around for another target and was surprised to find that there were none. Standing up straight, she took stock.  
  
Of the fifteen hundred men she'd started with, barely five hundred straightened to mirror her. They looked out with haunted and stunned eyes at the horde remaining, which had pulled back just out of range of the cities cannons and waited.  
  
Not that it mattered... they'd lost their last cannon only a few hours into the fray... Tess stumbled a bit, clasped a hand over a sluggishly bleeding wound in her left shoulder, then raised her bastard sword and howled.  
  
"YEEEEESSSSS!!!"  
  
Her troops, tired, battered and barely conscious, mirrored her. It was a pitiful sound, barely heard over the dying and the clash of arms still raging in the sky.  
  
It sounded like victory.  
  
She stopped suddenly when she saw a small unit of troops, maybe fifteen or twenty, approaching the gates. They clustered around what appeared to be a figure clad completely in a maroon colored cloak. She narrowed her eyes.  
  
"Talgus... have your archers give that impertinent group of barbarians a little something to worry about."  
  
Talgus grinned coldly and signaled his archers to attack. Arrows lept immediately down upon the small group...  
  
The front rank took several arrows, the shafts thunking solidly into the barbarians bodies...  
  
They didn't even flinch. They just kept coming.  
  
Her eyes widened. "What the hell...?"  
  
***  
  
Talen threw back his hood and grinned up at the massed defenders. They had forced back his troops admirably, dashing any hopes he might have had of getting through Sentinel without revealing himself. Ah well... one could hardly expect barbarians to do the work of a God.  
  
Grinning up at the wary defenders, he pitched his voice outward.  
  
"Surrender.... or die!" He chirped cheerfully, the black holes of his eyes flaring as he said "die".  
  
He was met with laughter. A few arrows. He caught one easily and crushed it in his gloved fist.  
  
"I'll give them something to laugh about." he chuckled, then his face grew deadly serious.  
  
The Bloodgaurd around him obeyed his silent signal and stepped back. He removed his gloves. His hands, pale and unmarred, twisted into claws. Pressing them against the air as though he were carrying a ball, he concentrated, his eyes flaring into two stygian pits of darkness.  
  
Nothingness grew between them, and he was outlined in a hideous black aura of anti-light. Souls became visible around him, the dead of both the barbarians and Sailoon crying out in terror as they were pulled inexorably into the ball of darkness growing between his palms. A wind kicked up, shrieking inward, as though a hole in the universe had opened between his hands.  
  
This was exactly what it was. Stetching his arms out wide, he tossed the impenetrably dark sphere shrieking towards the gate, which gained size as it did so.  
  
The defenders directly above the gate screamed, some of them tossing themselves to their deaths rather then face the impossiblity barreling towards them. Garret widened his eyes and dropped his spear.  
  
"Oh... dear Ceiphied..."  
  
The ball struck the gates.... settled.... widened a bit..... engulfing one fourth of the wall...  
  
Then vanished in a flash of light and a howl of displaced air.  
  
The battlefield settled.  
  
A hole had appeared in Sentinel's walls. It was perfectly spherical, cutting into the bedrock as well. The gates.... the walls around them... and the men who had been perched on them, including private Garret, had simply ceased to be.  
  
Talen smiled. "Kill them all."  
  
The horde rushed forward, shrieking in joy. Their god had delivered Sentinel unto them! At last! Vengeance!!!  
  
A voice cut through the din. It was a tired female voice, high on the wall. Everyone looked upward.  
  
"Who ever you are... you miserable son of a bitch. I CHALLENGE YOU! PERSONALLY!"  
  
Talen watched in amusement as a scuffle broke out on the wall... trying desperately to save their captain, the remaining troops had dog piled her. She slipped out from underneath them, punched Talgus out, and grabbed a nearby ladder, sliding all the way to the ground. Landing heavily, she stalked forward, murder in her eyes.  
  
Talen chuckled. "My... how noble. Terms?"  
  
"If I kick your ass... this whole horde turns around and heads back home... and none of you ever show your face again. If you win.... you let my army head back to Sailoon.... and you get Sentinel."  
  
"My...how generous of you." Talen remarked dryly.  
  
"That's not all Asshole... you wait for exactly one week before you advance on Sailoon."  
  
"I hardly think you're in a position to negotiate." Talen grinned, admiring her.  
  
"Whatsa matter.... afraid?"  
  
"Hardly." he shrugged, tossing aside his cloak. "Very well... I-"  
  
"NOOOO!" The voice cut in from above as Valgaav dropped down between them.  
  
"TESS.... I won't let you! He'll kill you!"  
  
"STAND DOWN SOLDIER!" she snapped. "YOU ARE THE NEXT IN COMMAND. IF I LOSE... YOU HAVE TO GET WORD TO THE QUEEN. YOU HAVE TO GET THESE MEN BACK HOME." Her voice became tired but proud. "God knows they've earned it."  
  
"What about you?" he pleaded, unconvinced.  
  
She closed her eyes. "What about me? One person for a kingdom?" she grinned. "I'll take that price." she opened her eyes and they were full of calm confidence and love. "Besides... I don't plan on losing. Got too much to live for."  
  
"Tess-" He started... she narrowed her eyes.  
  
"Don't make me force you to have them take you back in chains Valgaav. Please." She sighed.  
  
He crossed his arms. "I'd like to see them try."  
  
Talen rolled his eyes. Or at least it looked like it. It's sometimes hard to tell when a person doesn't have anything that could truly be called eyes.  
  
"This is all very touching, but if it's alright with you, I'd like to get on with this."  
  
Tess nodded shortly. "Valgaav.... go. That's an order."  
  
He gritted his teeth but saluted, clenching his fist over his chest.  
  
"Yes... sir."  
  
She returned his salute. "I'll see you later."  
  
Valgaav took off and headed towards the city. She sighed and removed her breastplate. She had a feeling it wouldn't help much.  
  
"Well do you accept?" she stared at him, hard eyed. The barbarian army surrounded the two of them.  
  
"Oh... is it alright if I do now?" Talen smirked sarcastically. "Certainly my dear."  
  
Tess smiled. Time to face destiny.  
  
*** 


	20. That'll Need Some Ice, and Mass Destruct...

"Your black looking clear, my work is done soon here, try getting back to me, get back what used to be! Drink up, tune in... let the beatings begin. Distributor of pain. Your loss become my gain! Anger, Misery, you'll suffer unto me... Harvester of Sorrow! Madness comes with me... Harvester of Sorrow! All have said their prayers, I've made their nightmares, to see into my eyes, you'l find where murder lies... Harvester of Sorrow! Madness come with me... Harvester of Sorrow!" -Metallica P.S.E. (Pre Suck Era), Harvester of Sorrow  
  
  
Two combatants seperated by a field trampled over and covered in the fear, pain, and gore of the life or death struggle of that morning. One a tall, lean wolfish looking woman with short wavy red hair and a hard penetrating look around the eyes stared hard at the other combatant, a slim, almost girlish man. His long black hair had been bound into a ponytail behind him. He grinned cheerfully, his handsome face alight with an intensely cynical inner amusement, and one would have thought he was about to participate in a contest instead of a life or death struggle. One had only to look at his eyes... two empty pits of deepest darkness, to see that this little contest was in deadly earnest.  
  
Tess glanced over her shoulder at the ruined city wall behind her. It had begun to sink in exactly what she had gotten herself into - this arrogant little shit grinning his ass off before her had single handedly put a hole several hundred yards wide where the gate and part of the wall had once been, and she'd just challenged him to single combat.  
  
She sighed and gave her bastard sword a few lazy looking test sweeps. She winced... her left shoulder was still bothering her. She didn't know when but she'd gotten cut by a stray sword or arrow... it hardly mattered now. She was injured, exhausted, and facing an opponent not only completely out of her league, but who looked well rested and uninjured.  
  
"Well Tess, this is not exactly something they cover in the Sailoonian Gaurd recruiting brochure, now is it?" She muttered quietly to herself. She had a habit of talking to herself (a habit she picked up from her many years standing gaurd in Private Garret's shoes... the unfortunate problem with the military is that almost all of the people above you that you're trying to get one over on, be it to get out of work or slip something past them, have almost undoubtedly done the same thing in their days on the lower end of the chain) when she was nervous or tired - and right now she was both.  
  
It was one thing to say you'd give your life for your country, quite another to actually do it.  
  
Talon for his part simply watched her as though she were an amusing animal doing some form of trick. "Just let me know when you're ready my dear... I'm in NO hurry. In fact, you appear injured... I'll tell you what." he placed one of his gloves over his left hand. "There, now we're... even." he chuckled.  
  
She hated his sarcastic, unctuous, ingratiating manner of speech. He already counted her as good as buried. With a start she realized that she had been thinking the same thing. Grinning, she shook her head. "I'm not dead yet asshole", she muttered. She still had a few tricks under her sleeve. Slipping her foot nonchalantly beneath her breastplate, she took up a neutral stance, then took a deep breath.  
  
"Ready." She said, as she let out the breath-  
  
-and kicked the breastplate into Talon's grinning face.  
  
The second battle for Sentinel City had begun.  
  
***  
  
Mina had backed away from Red, or Gaav, or whoever he was, when the flames of his aura had gotten too hot to stay close to him. As his aura died down, he turned slowly until she caught the left side of his face in profile... he had his old cocky grin on, but this time it was not full of black, ironic humor.  
  
It was a challenge to the whole world... and it promised to set it all on fire.  
  
Zelgadis' hand hovered over his sword and Pix's hand hovered over her mouth. She cast a worried glance over at Mina. Mina closed her eyes, opened them, then shook her head.  
  
"Red?" she asked hesitantly.  
  
The giant turned around completely and rested his sword on one shoulder. "Sorry. Red has performed his task admirably and well... but his time is done. I am Gaav... The Demon Dragon King."  
  
Mina looked down. "What do you intend to do now... Gaav?"  
  
"Mina-" Zelgadis started, but she raised a hand, silencing him.  
  
Gaav grinned. "There are so many things that need taking care of... my brother to kill... the world to conquer..." he narrowed his eyes. This girl was going to be a problem. It was best to set things straight now. That pathetic fantasy man Red was truely gone. It was time to be Gaav again.  
  
"I know... I've got a bit of unfinished business to take care of. Lina Inverse... I think... it's time to put an end to her meddling. Nothing personal you understand... it's just that I hardly think she'll allow me to take over the world."  
  
Zelgadis growled. "You fiend!"  
  
Pix glared at him from behind Zelgadis' shoulder. One could hardly blame her though, this was an extremely large and scary dark lord in front of them.  
  
Mina shook her head. "I can't let you do that R-... Gaav. My mother... isn't the sorceress she used to be. She'd be nearly defenseless. You used to say you never attack the defenseless..."  
  
Gaav narrowed his eyes. Crying he'd been prepared to deal with. He hadn't had the strength to fight off his "urges" before but with Dnarc's unrestrained rage and hatred coursing through him, he felt more then powerful enough to deal with the weaker emotions his human soul inspired within him. Acceptance... and quiet disappointment... he hadn't expected... not from this girl. He knew her too well...  
  
Knew her too well? This was ridiculous... a tiny human... a tadpole... nothing but a...  
  
Mina.  
  
He frowned. Best to push forward. Lina defenseless? Hardly. It was too laughable to even consider. "If it's true then I shall apologize to her when I kill her... though I doubt that will matter much."  
  
Mina looked down at the shattered blade in her hand. Then she raised it up into a gaurd position. "You're going to have to get through me first."  
  
Zelgadis blinked at this strange turn of evens, then sighed and walked forward, his sword before him. He stopped next to Mina.  
  
"Zel?!" Mina started. "You don't-"  
  
Zelgadis grinned ironically. "Yes I do. Lina would kill me if I let you get yourself killed here." He sighed. "Something tells me I'm going to regret this... again."  
  
Gaav glared at them. Anger... sadness... he's been prepared to deal with that. Hard determination and disappointment? In him? This was unbelievable.  
  
"Very well, if that is how you want it..." His eyes burned crimson and heat distorted winds began to twist and turn around him like angry serpents. "Prepare to die..."  
  
Dnarc had said he was fonder of tragedies... it was ironic that his death looked as though it was more likely to cause one than his life.  
  
***  
  
Talon blinked suddenly as the breastplate streaked out towards his face. Raising his gloved hand he battered it away from his face, glaring at the wolfish woman before him. "Cheap tricks won't-"  
  
He stopped hastily when he realized that as she'd kicked the breast plate into his face, she'd also charged him viciously with a lunge that would have speared him through the chest had he been a normal combatant...  
  
Not a God.  
  
He stepped forward but slightly off center from her lunge and brought his bare hand down sharply on the gauntleted hand she held her sword with. She twisted away from him like a cat, turning his numbing strike into a glancing brush, but pain still exploded in her hand. Glancing down, she was horrified to see that a part of her gauntlet had simply been erased from existence. She grimaced. Great.   
  
Talon grinned. "Do you see what you've gotten yourself into?"  
  
Tess grinned back. "You must have a hell of a time scratching yourself."  
  
Talon narrowed his eyes. "You have NO idea."  
  
He darted in, his bare hand striking like a snake. She narrowed her eyes... she'd seen this stance before... why was it so familiar? She twisted away and received only a slight gash across her shirt. She slashed her sword around to keep him at bay and he batted it aside with a slap of his gloved hand almost lazily.   
  
She gritted her teeth. -Think.. think! You've seen this before... yeah he's not using any form of martial arts you've ever seen... but he's not holding any weap-  
  
She almost received a slap that would have erased her face save for she darted her head back at just the right moment but she had it now.  
  
-Of course! His hands ARE his weapons! I've seen this before! Rapier and dagger... Florentine- she grinned. -Time to show him Seargant Gustav's school of fighting.-  
  
He lunged in again, and this time, instead of twisting away she battered his arm with her sword full force. He winced and leaned in locking "blades" with her, forearm to blade. She was still somewhat surprised when her sword didn't cut through his arms - even though she'd been expecting something like this..  
  
He, however, was definately not expecting her to smash her forehead into his nose.  
  
Nor as he reeled back in pain did he expect her to kick him full force in the groin with her steeltoed combat boots.  
  
A painful collective groan echoed across barbarian horde that was momentarily eclipsed by another sound.  
  
The pitiful remainder of the Sailoonian gaurd were laughing their collective ass off.  
  
***  
  
"DUG.... HAUT!!!" Zelgadis shouted, slamming his fist into the ground. A series of sharp stone spikes erupted from the ground at Gaav's feet, impaling him like a mime on a spork-  
  
-Or rather would have, if he hadn't leapt a full twenty five feet into the air. The group scattered as Gaav slammed into the ground raising a huge cloud of dust and leaving a large crater. Mina thrust her hand out. "ELMEKIA LANCE!!" she shouted, as a pristinely white blast of holy power arced towards him.  
  
"Please." he scoffed, batting it aside with his sword. "If this is the best you two can do this won't even be a distraction."  
  
Mina caught Zelgadis' eyes from across the way (Hey... give those back! He needs those! Er... sorry -DT)and grinned. "Red was right... this him IS an asshole."  
  
Gaav remained crouched, simply waiting for them to advance. He still couldn't believe they were willing to attack him like this. His friends! His-  
  
He shook his head irritably. -What am I thinking? A mazoku has no friends! A mazoku lord NEEDS no friends he...-  
  
He lost a lock of hair for his introspection as Zelgadis, streaking through the air like a blue lightning bolt, slashed at him in passing and nearly took his head off. Gaav growled. Enough playing around.  
  
Landing lightly next to Mina, Pix hanging on for dear life on his shoulder, he crouched next to Mina in the small depression they used to take cover from Gaav's attacks. "I hope you've got some ideas Mina... because otherwise this is going to get ugly very quickly. He's just playing with us."  
  
Mina frowned. "No... he's not playing with us Zel... he doesn't really want to do this. Don't you see? He's forcing himself to be angry with us."  
  
Gaav turned growling and standing up to his full height. His aura blasted forth, rocking the small band back with it's concussive force. He clenched his hands into fists and the aura began to grow.  
  
Zel blinked and looked at Mina. "He doesn't really want to kill us? You could have fooled me."  
  
Mina smiled grimly. "He can't fool me. That may be Gaav, but he's also Red, and I know how he thinks. Right about now he's going to-"  
  
"This is been fun, but I'm afraid I'm going to have to cut you two short." Red grinned.  
  
"-Bluster about what he's about to do." Mina grinned. Zelgadis blinked.   
  
Pix smiled. "Wow... talk about psychology in action." Then she frowned. "Mina... what do you want us to do? How are we going to get him to realize what he really thinks?"  
  
Zelgadis turned pale. "Should I be hearing this? This sounds suspiciously like one of those conversations girls have when they-"  
  
"SHUT UP!" Mina and Pix growled at him.  
  
Zelgadis was a wise man. He shut up. "Yes'm."  
  
"We have to force the issue... but we have to do it in a way he'd understand..."  
  
Pix grinned. "In other words, we have to beat it into him."  
  
Mina grinned wolfishly. "Exactly... I'm going to need your help."  
  
Pix nodded and raised a thumb. "You can count on me!"  
  
Zelgadis shook his head. "Scary.."  
  
***  
  
If Arashi had had any doubts as to the veracity of his god's... well... godhood, they'd been completely shattered. Any normal man would have buckled like a belt after that blow to the hairy gumdrops, and Talon looked unaffected. Well, almost unaffected..  
  
Though it may have been a trick of the light, he did look a bit paler then normal.  
  
"I'm getting... tired of you-" Talon muttered darkly.  
  
"-kicking you in the nuts?" Tess finished sweetly, weaving a hissing pattern with her bastard sword. She was on her last legs and they both knew it.  
  
"-rather quickly my dear." Talon finished. He frowned, this little insect was beginning to become more then a nuisance.   
  
Tess stepped back and gasped heavily. Her vision had become one long dark tunnel, and at the end of it was this evil man. It was time to make a stand before he realized just how much she was relying on sheer mean stubborness to keep standing. She almost lost her chance when she tripped over something... a limb... an arrow, it hardly mattered. She went down, falling backwards and Talon lunged forward again, cutting a straight razorlike gash down her flank as she continued her tumble backwards into a roll that ended with her in a crouch. Her left leg trembled uncontrollably beneath her, though there was no blood. Looking down she was morbidly fascinated to see the meat of her leg cleanly where he'd cut her, but no blood... as though it had been cleanly cauterized.  
  
"I think it's time we finished this little farce, what do you say?" Talon asked pleasantly, walking towards her.  
  
She gritted her teeth against the pain and grinned fiercely. "I agree." Then, with every last bit of strength she had remaining in her body, she lunged forward.  
  
His eyes widened and he took a step back, raising his gloved hand up in front of his face. Her sword pierced it and continued easily through all the way to the hilt. She froze in shock. "I... I beat him?"  
  
Talen looked around his hand and grinned. "Not quite my dear... though I admire your persistence. Say goodnight."  
  
He pushed her now bladeless sword away from his hand to reveal a cleanly cut hole in his glove over his unmarred palm. He brought his other hand up in an open palmed strike against her chest....  
  
She crumpled slowly backward to the ground in dazed shock as a hand-shaped hole opened up in her chest. The empty hilt of her sword dropped to the ground at her side with a dull clatter. She blinked.   
  
"NNNNNOOOOOOOOOOO!" A heartrendingly griefstricken voice shattered the stillness that had descended upon the battlefield.  
  
Valgaav streaked downward upon Talon like the vengeance of the Gods. His pike slashed downward as Talon turned in surprise, a grimace on his handsome face. Batting the pike in half with his bare hand, he caught the enraged half dragon by the throat and grinned at him. "How very touching... the grief shattered lover coming to avenge his true love's murder. Sorry... you should have listened to her when she told you to leave."  
  
He felt something wet make its way down his cheek and glanced down. A line of red marked his once unmarred face. His looked up at Valgaav.  
  
"You... cut... my.... face." His voice was toned dangerously low.  
  
"I'll do worse then that you- HERK!" Valgaav choked as Talon squeezed on his throat until he could feel his fingers meet in the flesh.  
  
"It seems that you'll be joining your poor little love in the afterlife..." he stopped for a moment. "Oh... I'm sorry I forgot. Shards don't have afterlives... They just become a part of the victor." He grinned. "Well, it would have been an unpleasant ending either way you look at it. Goodbye puppy." He felt something weakly clutch his leg and he looked down to see Tess clutching his leg.  
  
"You... aren't..." she stopped for a moment, trying to draw a breath that just wouldn't come. "Finished with me... asshole."  
  
Talon shook his head. "Amazing! It's simply too bad you had to die my dear... I don't know how much you would have cost but it would have been WORTH it." He turned to the struggling halfdragon, who's struggles had begun to weaken. "Well.. I suppose I don't have to kill you myself. Still... you scar me, I scar you."  
  
His grin became a grimace of hate. "Begone!" He slammed his bare fist hard into Valgaav's side. Though hardier then Tess (who may have been a shard, but was a relatively weak one, having never absorbed another's power) Valgaav still shrieked in agony as he arced towards Sentinel. His mind gave way under the pain of nothingness tearing at his soul and his astral body like a rabid wolf. Two things remained in his psyche... the hatred of that grinning, spiteful demon... and a promise he had made to his love. The small group of fighters (under protest) had beat a hasty retreat towards Sailoon in case Talon decided not to keep his word... he knew that Tess had intended him to do this from the start but he hadn't been able to convince them to go if he wasn't willing to go on his own. Finally, misty eyed, Talgus had acknowledged his order, painful though it had been. Valgaav had intended to save Tess but things had happened so fast.. then he'd meant to avenge her, but he'd failed at that... failed..  
  
There was only one thing left that he could do... if he didn't get word to the Queen... then Tess would have died for nothing. Flying weakly in the direction were he felt some sort of pull, he fought against the agony in an attempt to get word out..  
  
To salvage some sort of honor from the wreckage that his life had become.  
  
***  
  
Talon picked Tess up by the ruins of her shirt and grinned at her. "You might think me heartless but I have my own reasons for doing this I assure you." He leaned in close and looked into her dying eyes. "There is nothing out there past this farce Captain. This world rests in a sea of chaos... a mistake... an experiment gone wrong... vomited forth by a bitch of a goddess who cares nothing for her creation."  
  
His grin disappeared and his face lost all expression. "You said that you were fighting and dying for something you believe in, to be a part of something greater. Bold, noble words but empty of any true meaning. Your kingdom is a laughingstock, a place of pacifistic fools who think that just because nothing has ever attacked them that nothing ever will."  
  
He snorted. "Well it's come true Captain. For I AM nothing.... and soon the rest of you pitiful mistakes will join me." He grinned again. "You wanted to be a part of something greater Captain? Welcome to TALON!"  
  
Tess couldn't see him, but she knew he was holding her up. His voice was an annoying buzz in the cold darkness she felt herself falling into, despite her best efforts. -Valgaav... forgive me...-  
  
His words cut into her mind like a hot razor. A spark jumped within her and she gritted her teeth, then spit bloody saliva into his face.  
  
"You... son... of....."  
  
Talon gritted his teeth as bloody spit ran down his face. "Monsters aren't born Captain... They're made."  
  
He shoved his bare hand through her chest. She stiffened, convulsed, then collapsed limply in his grasp. He tossed her aside like a sack of garbage. Turning to see his army watching him silently, he crossed his arms and watched the retreating speck wavering slightly in the distance. Tess's body turned to dust and red lightning struck him, though he absorbed it without reaction. He narrowed his voidlike eyes.  
  
"Bloodgaurd!"  
  
The Bloodgaurd came to attention. They watched him coldly.  
  
"Kill him." He nodded towards Valgaav's retreating form.  
  
The Bloodgaurd nodded silently and gestured, muttering sibilant words of power. Each lifted from the ground and took off after the retreating halfdragon on wings of chaos, drawing black bows as they did so.   
  
He looked at the army around him. They seemed to approve of his handling of the situation. They'd seen him best his opponent in single combat, then give her a quick death. They only awaited his orders.  
  
He looked back to Sentinel. A grin played across his face.  
  
"Burn it... loot it." He chuckled. "Have fun."  
  
The valley became one continuous roar of victory...  
  
And Sentinel began to burn.  
  
***  
  
Mina walked towards Gaav slowly, her hands before her. Gritting her teeth, she stared defiantly up at him. "Ok "Darklord" if this is the way you want it, this is the way you'll get it."  
  
Gaav blinked and gave her a confused look. "Huh?"  
  
She grinned. "You're forgetting who my mother was."  
  
Gaav grinned confidently. "I know you well Mina Inverse... you don't have enough magical talent to cast the Ragna Blade."  
  
She let out a deep breath. "Maybe I don't... there's only one way to find out."  
  
"Sword of cold and darkness, free thyself from the heaven's bonds..."  
  
Gaav narrowed his eyes, his grip tightening on his sword. He searched her eyes... she was really going to do this... she was going to...  
  
"Become one with my power, one with my body, and let us walk the path of destruction together..."  
  
Well... he hadn't exactly given her any other choice. Now it was time to put his money where his mouth was so to speak. It wouldn't be all that hard... he was wiser then he'd been before... a quick stroke..  
  
"Power that can smash even the souls of gods!"  
  
This was it... one of them was going to die here. One of them...  
  
He froze for a moment, memories playing in his mind... and not the memories of his long, twisted, useless, dark, headlong flight of a past. Good memories... fighting with Mina... teasing her... tickling her... her embrace, warm arms around him... the look she gave him sometimes when she thought he wasn't looking or that he was asleep (yes, that one time he wasn't actually asleep).  
  
All of that was about to come to an end...  
  
"RAGNA BLAAAADE!!!" She screamed, at the limits of her power. Even with Pix supplementing her limited reserves, she couldn't maintain this forever.. it was now or...  
  
Leaping upwards she brought the blade high overhead, shouting as she did so. Gaav tensed, looking upward, then relaxed and lowered his head. "No."  
  
He tensed as he sensed her coming down with the blade, preparing for destruction for the second time. So stupid... so weak... to fall like this... a slave to his own weak human emotions... he had been created to be a rampaging god of fury... a demon of destruction with the will and rage to tear apart the souls of the Dragon Kings themselves... and he had been defeated by this... this.... woman. She hadn't even had to lift a finger.  
  
She landed hard next to him, stumbled and leaned against his chest heavily.   
  
Pix let out a contented sigh.... that Ragna Blade spell was suuuuure tasty...  
  
He fell to his knees and looked at her, his face full of sorrow. "I... I couldn't do it."  
  
Mina looked up at him and whispered softly. "I know."  
  
"What good is a dark lord who can't..." he looked like he was about to cry. Zelgadis goggled. This was something you didn't see every day.  
  
Mina touched his lips with a finger. He stopped. "Who says you have to be a Dark Lord?"  
  
He blinked. "It's what I am... I can't change that."  
  
Mina shrugged. "So who says you have to be an EVIL Dark Lord?"  
  
He blinked. "Uh... I guess... no... one?"  
  
She smiled. "Who's going to tell you you HAVE to be an Evil Dark Lord?"  
  
He grinned weakly. "Hey... you're right!"  
  
She nodded, then slugged him in the jaw. "If you EVER do anything like that again, I swear to Ceiphid I'll-"  
  
He leaned down and kissed her roughly. Her eyes widened... then she blushed.... she would have fallen over if he hadn't wrapped his arms around her and nearly crushed her against his chest.  
  
And it went on. Pix grinned softly and pushed at Zelgadis. "I think we should leave these two alone."  
  
Zelgadis blinked, shook his head, then let her push him along. "I think I'm going to need therapy after this." he said dazedly.  
  
Pix growled. "OHHH no you don't..."  
  
Red broke his kiss and grinned at her. "What'll you do?"  
  
She blinked and shook her head. "Wuzzat?"  
  
He grinned. "That's what I thought, Hero."  
  
They kissed again.  
  
*** 


	21. Evil, Evil All Around and Naughtiness Ab...

"Touched... You say I am too, so much... of what you say is true. I'll never, find someone quite like you, again. I'll never find someone quite like you. Like you..." VAST, Touched  
  
Once, Sentinel had been a living, breathing place. Once, soldiers had patrolled her streets daily, and the sounds of daily commerce had echoed in the town square. It had not been uncommon to see children running, shouting and playing, no cares in the world other then dinner and bedtime, and whatever bogey man was lurking in their imaginations at night.  
  
The bogey men had come to town, and what Sentinel had been, it could never be again.  
  
Scattered about the garrison, like lions who had brought down a gazelle, Talon's army made good the orders of the previous day. Feasting on the dying flesh of the city, the horde collectively crouched amongst the rubble and dying cook fires that the bones of the city had become. The bodies of Sailoon's dead had been piled into a gigantic pyramid of carnage and burnt 'till all that remained was a handful of blackened fragments of bone and grey ash.   
  
One building still stood relatively unscathed. The prison tower stood like an accusing finger pointed towards the sky, a judgement against a goddess that would allow such devestation to exist.   
  
Talon found the symbolism, lost upon his brutish followers, to be a source of constant amusement. He smiled.  
  
"Checkmate." He announced decisively after setting down his knight. Arashi blinked in surprised confusion at the board, then shook his head in wonderment.  
  
"This game is easy to learn, yet I cannot seem to master it, my lord." he muttered ruefully.  
  
Talon shrugged and began setting his pieces back into their starting positions. "Well... you are playing against me, Arashi. I've had considerably more experience at this sort of thing than you..." he grinned. He didn't need to mention that he was also a god, whereas Arashi was not. Some things went without saying.  
  
He frowned. "Still, that was a particularly miserable showing, even for you. Whatever could you be thinking?" He tapped his chin with a bishop.  
  
Arashi sighed. "I... am troubled my lord."  
  
Talon raised an eyebrow. "Doubting me again Arashi? This is beginning to become a bad habit."  
  
Arashi shook his head vehemantly. "Not doubt... I... simply do not understand."  
  
Talon grinned and set down the bishop with a startlingly loud click onto the board. "Let me guess... why did I accept that foolish girl's challenge? Why did I let the survivors flee back to Sailoon... WHY oh WHY did I submit to her ridiculous conditions?"  
  
Arashi nodded, looking miserable. It had kept him up nights, thinking about what had happened. He had failed his lord in the worst possible way, allowing that Lieutenant to cut his forces in half single handedly, though his lord hadn't seen fit to accuse him of anything. He could only surmise that Talon was being merciful, for which he was grateful. Still, as grateful as he was, his questions buzzed like hornets in his head, stinging him constantly to seek answers. He began to set up his own side of the board again.  
  
"Hmm... how to explain." He tapped his chin, then grinned. "I suppose the best way to explain would be..."  
  
He stood up and turned, gloved hands clasped behind his back.  
  
"If I were to... punish you for your failure during the battle-"  
  
"My lord!" Arashi stepped back from the table and knelt, shaking in fear. Arashi was a consumate warrior; death held no fear for him. The sort of oblivion that Talon visited on his enemies, however, filled him with instinctive terror. He trembled with the effort of trying to conceal his cowardice. There was only one punishment for displeasing him.  
  
"Don't interrupt." Talon snapped. "I said, IF. Not when." he shook his head in irritation. Mortals. "If I were to punish you for your failure, it would send a message to the tribe. What might that message be?"  
  
Arashi remained silent. His lord had not given him leave to speak.  
  
"The message," Talon continued, "would be that failure is not an option. They would fight harder, the alternative being worse than death. A benefit in the short run, but one that would lead to eventual collapse. Even the Talon tribe has its limits. In effect, in death you would serve a purpose, albeit unintentionally on your part. This holds true to the pitiful remnants of Sentinel's army as well."  
  
He turned and grinned unpleasantly at Arashi. "The once undefeated army of Sentinel, the greatest fortress ever constructed in Sailoon, beaten, dejected, leaderless, and tattered, rushes with its tail between its legs back to Sailoon's capital. Five hundred more soldiers will make no difference in the long run, not against hundreds of thousands. The message they carry unintentionally however, is one of terror. Oppose me, this message says, and you will be ground into dust. The defenders at Sailoon will be shaken, waiting for the hammer to fall. In the time they have remaining, while we rest and relax, they start at shadows... they quibble over what to do, and end up making inadequate preparations or no perparations at all. They cry out, 'Where? Oh WHERE is the Queen? Has she deserted us?' " He gestured out mockingly.  
  
"They will fall before my army like frightened sheep. Her conditions? I had intended to comply with them ANYWAY. Her chances of beating me? Impossible, as you well know. She threw herself at me and thus added her power to mine, as opposed to possibly dying to a lucky sword or arrow, and depriving me of her essence." He sat down and gestured at the other side of the board. "The most effective agent for subversion is one who works for you without his knowledge. Remember well... and do get up."  
  
Arashi stood and sat down silently, obviously deep in thought. Talon smiled. "Have faith in me..." he chuckled.  
  
Something about HIM saying those words struck him as horribly ironic.  
  
***  
  
There was somehing inside him. Something angry and malevolent. It ripped at his insides like a handful of rusty razors, tearing at him like a pack of rabid wolves. Valgaav doubled over as he flew clutching his chest and stifling an agonized shriek. Though the physical wound to his chest was relatively small, the pain had increased with every breath until he was forced to focus all of his attention simply on flying and remaining conscious, which suited him just fine.  
  
The pain of losing Tess was far more difficult to hold in check.  
  
He was dimly aware that he was being pursued; and also aware that in his current state he couldn't possibly fend them off. It would be very easy to simply let them kill him... to put an end to his torments physical, spiritual, and emotional. Grim determination kept him flying. Determination, and guilt. His lover had sacrificed herself for him and Sailoon... he could do no less. Death was not an option... at least not until the right people had been informed.  
  
Until the only person who mattered to him had been avenged.  
  
Somehow the hatred that raged in him at the thought of that empty-eyed demon made the agony burn all the brighter. He let out an involuntary hiss of pain and dipped several feet in the air, his feet trailing against the top of the forested canopy he flew over.  
  
The action saved his life.  
  
Black arrows whizzed and hissed overhead as the Bloodgaurd began their first assault on the weakened half-dragon. Snarling silently to himself, Valgaav struggled to gain altitude looking over his shoulder at his tormentors.  
  
-Great... looks like twenty of them... not the greatest of odds. Well... time to show them what the Gaurd are made of.-  
  
He launched upward, his wings straining to cup the air, climbing upward so rapidly that he soon became little more then a speck. The Bloodgaurd silently followed, relentlessly matching his exhaustive but horribly weakened pace. Another volley of arrows arced towards him, and this time one buried itself up to its cruelly barbed shaft in his lower back. Utterly lost in his own agony he simply grunted. Valgaav spun limply in the air, then started a sickeningly fast spinning dive towards the treetops. The Bloodgaurd formed a "V" formation and followed him, arrows notched. It would have been much easier to finish him off by using their repetoire of spells but since their unit was primarily a ground one, they'd been forced to use spells to keep them in the air, which limited their casting options somewhat.  
  
Not that it appeared to matter.  
  
Valgaav continued his sickening tumble towards the unforgiving earth. Four hundred meters... three... two...  
  
one...  
  
Slamming into branches and leaves face first jolted him back into consciousness. Spreading his wings, he gritted his teeth in a painfilled roar and darted at breakneck speeds around two large, moss-covered tree trunks. Flapping mightily, he pulled up over the canopy, continuing on his blind course. A quick glance behind him showed no sign of his ghost-like pursuit. He shuddered violently and tried to increase speed...  
  
A crashing sound behind him dragged his attention rearward as the Bloodgaurd formation crashed through the canopy a scant hundred feet behind him, arrows leaping as one-  
  
-He closed his eyes and clenched his hands into fists, his last thought an apology.  
  
-I'm sorry my love... I've failed you again."  
  
He opened his eyes a split second later as the the arrows simultaniously bounced off of the air behind him. He hovered in midair, confused to his core. The Bloodguard stopped as well mutely staring at one another before notching arrows again and letting loose.   
  
Again the arrows bounced off of nothing.  
  
An amused voice floated on the wind.  
  
"My, my... it seems you Bloodgaurd don't know when to take a hint. I do dislike stupidity... at least when I'm trying to get a point across to someone."  
  
Valgaav blinked wearily. "Xellos? What..."  
  
Xellos appeared comfortably seated in mid air between Valgaav and his enemies, his staff resting across his crossed legs. He turned his head to regard the stunned half-dragon.  
  
"Not too much further Valgaav... you just have to hold on a bit longer."  
  
"But... Why?"  
  
Xellos shook his finger in chastisement. "Now, now... no time for reunions... quickly, get out of here. I'll take care of this."  
  
Valgaav winced and turned quickly, his thoughts a whirl of confusion. Only pain and his sense of duty forced his weakening body onward. Xellos turned back to the Bloodgaurd with a pleasant smile.  
  
"I do hope we can dispense with any unpleasantness. I find it's so much easier to do business when both parties feel they are on equal ground, and I doubt you'll be able to do that with half of your number as little clouds of vapor."  
  
The Bloodgaurd looked at one another, then turned as one and launched another series of arrows at the grinning mazoku.  
  
He shrugged and grinned wider...  
  
...then opened his eyes.  
  
"To be honest with you, I was hoping you'd do that."  
  
He narrowed his eyes and they flashed momentarily. Casually waving his hand, he made a shooing gesture at the cluster of Bloodgaurd. Eleven of them shuddered and silently clutched their heads, then flashed into brilliant yellow stars that instantaneously flickered out, leaving nothing behind but a small puff of smoke.  
  
Exceptionally confounded smoke.  
  
The others looked at one another again. This time they looked worried.  
  
Xellos scraped his hands together as though he were brushing off a bit of dust. "I know what he must have told you... the pledge of immortality protects you against death as long as you keep your pledgestones safe... It does wonders for one's confidence level I know, when one thinks that one is unkillable. He neglected to mention that mazoku of greater power can avoid that little stricture however... how unfortunate for you."  
  
He opened his eyes again. "I suggest you leave. I dislike having to repeat myself."  
  
The Bloodgaurd looked at one another again, then turned as one and fled at full speed in the opposite direction. Xellos shook his head.  
  
"How horribly bothersome. I suppose this conscience will have me APOLOGIZING next. Oh well... at least it'll drive Talon crazy trying to figure out why I did this." he chuckled to himself and disappeared with a pop.   
  
Valgaav vanished slowly in the distance, as did the tattered and horribly demoralized remnants of the Bloodgaurd.  
  
***  
  
Mina and Gaav parted quietly and blinked dazedly at one another. Once one got beyond the now plainly obvious fact that the two were completely, sickeningly, head-over-heels in love with one another, things were rapidly becoming rather awkward. For one, they were in the middle of nowhere (which is a suburb of Katatoe) and for another, neither of them were quite sure how far to take this revelation.   
  
Gaav, being a Dark Lord, was not exactly an expert on the ins and outs (get your minds out of the gutter) of love (with the possible exception of his sword), seeing as none of this was mentioned in the "So You're a Rampaging Dark God of Rage, Brought Into Existence For The Sole Purpose Of Rending Your Enemies" pamplet he'd been issued. Smashing dragon kings? Furthering the cause of terror and hopelessness in mankind? Making snappy witticisms to the dismay of one's enemies? Child's play. Second base?   
  
Houston, we have a problem.  
  
Mina, on the other hand, while slightly more experienced (she was, after all, human) in the whole concept of emotional sugar high, was no Professor either. Most of her romantic experience had been in the form of lewd comments made by bandits immediately before she thrashed them, and she somehow doubted that her normal tactic when dealing with such responses (namely, charbroil or skewer, depending on her mood) was very appropriate.  
  
All of which was absolutely eclipsed by the fact that neither of them wanted to get more then five feet out of the other's presence.  
  
Mina was the first to speak.  
  
"Um... wow." She grinned sheepishly, blushing.  
  
Gaav blinked.  
  
"That was... wow." Mina continued adroitly.  
  
Gaav blinked again.  
  
"Are... you ok?" Mina frowned.  
  
Gaav started and nodded enthusiastically. "Absolutely... er.... so now what?"  
  
Mina blushed. "Well..."   
  
Gaav widened his eyes. "Here!?"  
  
Mina kicked him in the shin. "Absolutely not! I'm not that kind of girl."  
  
Gaav grinned. This was less confusing ground. "You were thinking it."  
  
Mina blushed. "Ok.. maybe I was... but there are better places for that sort of thing."  
  
Gaav looked rather pointedly at the blasted ground where they'd recently fought, including the battered, empty set of platemail that had once held the Bloody Eyed Darkness. "Oh I don't know... there's a certain morbid appeal to-"  
  
Mina crossed her arms. "Shut up."  
  
Gaav stopped, but grinned.  
  
She chuckled, eliciting an amused snort from her burly companion. She cast her gaze around until it lit on the broken hilt of her longsword. She'd dropped it in the... intensity of moment and it rested forlornly at Gaav's feet. She bent down and picked it up sadly.  
  
Gaav frowned. "I didn't do that did I?"  
  
She shook her head. "No.. it was Dnarc."  
  
He took it from her and stared at it mutely. "Not much you can do about this sort of damage... the blade is snapped."  
  
She looked down.  
  
He grinned. Brainstorm. "Was it important to you?"  
  
She looked up with a start and misinterpreted his grin. "Of course it was! My father gave it to me!" She snapped angrily.  
  
He held his hands out placatingly. "Easy... easy. I understand how you feel. Here."  
  
He snapped the remainder of the blade free from the undamaged hilt and held his hand over it. His eyes burned a brilliant crimson as his aura began to twist about him. Mina took an involuntary step back. "What are you...?"  
  
"Shhh." he whispered distractedly, clenching his hand into a fist. Fire erupted from the hilt, twisting up under his hand like a cat seeking an ear scratching from its adopted "owner". He turned his hand and seemed to grasp the flame, straightening it out and condensing it. Mina watched, spellbound as a new blade began to take shape, finally turning from white to deep red to a cool metallic crimson. Gaav smiled.  
  
"I know it's a poor substitute for your old sword... but please accept this."  
  
Mina let out a sigh of wonder as she took the proferred blade. It was light, as though the flames hadn't gained weight, merely density. She passed it back and forth, amazed at how easily it obeyed her... as though it had a mind of its own.  
  
"It's... it's amazing... It's like it's alive." she whispered.  
  
Gaav shrugged. "Well... in a way it is. It's a part of me you see."  
  
Mina stared at it dubiously. "WHICH part?" she asked pointedly.  
  
Gaav shook his head. "Oh come off it. It's not like that, you pervert."  
  
She smiled up at him. "I... thank you... Gaav."  
  
He looked at her intensely. "For you... anything."  
  
An irritable voice announced its presence rather loudly. "Are you two quite done yet?"  
  
Zelgadis came up over the hill with a disgusted look on his rocky face. Pix tried (in vain) to keep him back, pushing with all her might on his chest.  
  
"Sorry Mina... I tried to stop him."  
  
Zelgadis rolled his eyes. "Look, they weren't doing anything. You weren't, were you?"  
  
The two of them had the grace to look embarassed.  
  
"Well at least you had the decency to wait until the two of you could...." he droned off looking at the sky.  
  
Pix frowned. "decency to what? Finish your sentence master!"  
  
He pointed calmly skyward. "Incoming."  
  
Pix blinked. "Decency to incoming? What does..." she followed his finger. "INCOMING!!!" she exclaimed swooping around behind Zelgadis.  
  
The group scattered as Valgaav came crashing down into their midst.  
  
*** 


	22. Making Something Out Of Nothing

"Nothing else but laughter is around me. Forever more. Nothing can reach me. Nothing can save me. No one can hear me. I've gone beyond the truth it's just another lie. Wash away the blood on my hands. My father's blood. I've never known, another life. I never wanted to be what they told me to be. Forfeit my faith and I'd be free. God knows how long, I've tried to change fate! Pain inside is rising, I am the fallen one. A figure in an old game. No jokers on my side. I've launched into misery, I'll turn out the light, and murder the dawn. Turn out the light, and murder the dawn! -Blind Gaurdian, Mordred's Song   
  
  
Pain. Pain. Gods... this hurts... ripping... me... apart... Help... ME!!!!  
  
***  
  
The ragtag group of adventurers scattered blindly as a couple hundred pounds of savaged half-dragon slammed into the longsuffering (considering how often things had been slamming into it of late) earth in their midst. Forward momentum carried his unconscious body a few feet forward, digging a small ditch until his momentum finally said to hell with it and gave up the ghost. Gaav (who had been dragged backwards by Mina, his initial reaction being to turn and snarl at the incoming object) frowned in momentary confusion, then his eyes widened and he charged up to the battered form of his former servant. Mina reacted similarly.  
  
"Valgaav... what the hell happened to you?!" They exclaimed simultaniously, then looked at one another in surprise.  
  
"YOU know Valgaav? How do YOU know Valgaav?" Mina blinked.  
  
Gaav frowned sourly. "Why the hell do you think he's called Val-GAAV? I'm more interested in how YOU know him."  
  
Mina frowned. "Well... it's a long story..."  
  
Zelgadis shouldered his way in, Pix hovering worriedly over his head.   
  
"Nevermind that, look at him. He's in pretty bad shape. Give me some room."  
  
The two stepped back a bit and looked on in confusion.  
  
"What are you going to do? I thought you didn't know any white magic..." Mina frowned. His wounds... several scrapes and cuts, a vicious, evil looking hole in his chest and an arrow (broken by his rough landing) sticking out of his lower back revealed the truth of Zelgadis' assumptions. He narrowed his eyes at the arrow and spoke calmly as he surveyed the damage.  
  
"I said I don't know much White Magic, not that I didn't know any. Adventuring is a dangerous business... it would be foolish of me not to learn SOME healing techniques. Still, I'm nowhere near the healer Filia is... or Sylpheil for that matter. It'll just have to do."  
  
Gaav growled. "When I find the bastards responsible for this..." he clenched his fist.  
  
Zelgadis remained silent as he proceeded to cut the arrow out of Valgaav's flesh. Pix looked on and bit her lip. "Is he going to be okay master?"  
  
He eased the arrow out of the half-dragon and set it down, settling his hands over the wound. White light glowed underneath his palms as the wound began to sluggishly close. He narrowed his eyes. "I don't know... that arrow didn't hit anything vital... and other then some bruises and that wound to his chest he's relatively unhurt. The thing I can't figure is.."   
  
His eyes widened.  
  
"Impossible!"  
  
"What?!" The group clustered around anxiously.  
  
"I.. I can't heal this... something in him is resisting my healing spell... look.." he rolled the Half dragon gingerly over to reveal the gaping fist-sized black hole in his chest. Mina paled and recoiled and Pix turned away as the flesh seemed to simply start disappearing inward.... as the the hole were a mouth devouring the flesh around it.  
  
"What could have done this?" Mina rasped, shaking her head in horror.  
  
Gaav stood and growled, looking northward. "I know what did this."  
  
Mina looked at him. His face was a rictus of hatred, his eyes flaring crimson. She had to remind herself that she was in love with this man - he didn't look too lovable at the moment.  
  
"Who?" she frowned.  
  
"My brother."  
  
***  
  
Valgaav could feel the Enemy within him. It tore and ravaged his physical body, syphoning off his energy, his mind... in the confines of his own mind he clutched himself into a tighter and tighter ball, trying to escape the demon that twisted its filthy talons in his soul.  
  
A hollow, sadistically amused laughter echoed in his skull, he saw flashes of memories that weren't his... the image through another's eyes of his own tormented face turning purple from lack of oxygen, a black gloved hand clenched around his throat.   
  
-Gods! Gods! I'm in Hell!-  
  
A cool, comforting hand touched his fevered brow and he started suddenly. Hands roughed by years of sword practice, gently encircled him from behind and eased out of the fetal position and gasped. The pain, though still present, had receded to a dull, everpresent ache. He shuddered, then turned. He knew these hands.... he never thought he'd feel them again.  
  
"T-Tess?" he asked hesitantly, half fearing that this was some sort of trick from the Enemy to force him to give up what little consciousness he had left.  
  
Tess stared back at him silently, smiling. A lock of her curly red hair covered one of her eyes. She brushed it to the side irritably, cursing softly. This more than anything convinced him that this was no trick. It was such a naturally Tess-like action that there was no way this could be anyone other than his love.  
  
"Tess... how... you're.." he asked weakly. She put a finger to his lips.  
  
"Shh. Don't talk. Save your strength. You're going to need it."   
  
His eyes continued to question the impossibility of their meeting like this and she sighed.  
  
"I'm not really here Valgaav... think of me as a ghost. A part of you is bound to that which is Gaav, just as I was, and Talon is. What's left of me is fighting, Valgaav.. fighting with him for control... but he's very strong. The only reason he hasn't crushed me completely is because he deems me beneath his notice entirely..." her eyes hardened. "I'm risking everything in coming to you like this, but it's important that you know..."  
  
Valgaav looked down quietly, shaking with strain. "He's too strong Tess... I can't fight against him... I don't know how."  
  
She smiled. "You don't have to. You've done very very well up to this point... you don't know it yet, but you're among friends. They will get you to someone who can help you. With their help, you can beat this thing... but right now that's not important. What's important is that you hold on long enough for them to get help, and that you witness this."  
  
He shook his head. "Witness... witness what? I don't understand."  
  
She sighed. "I'm sorry Valgaav... you shouldn't have to do anything more. It's damned unfair. Unfortunately Sailoon needs you. She's facing a threat more terrible then anything she's ever faced before. It's important for you to know your enemy... no one does, and that's what's going to kill you all.   
  
"What are you talking about?" he snapped, then instantly regretted it. "I'm sorry."  
  
"No, I am. Sorry I mean. It would be alot easier to simply tell you but I'm afraid that if I do, he'll notice... if he notices me..." she trailed off, looking visibly tired. "Anyway... I'm going to show you his memories... since that isn't something that involves any action on my part, it's less likely that he'll notice. He's very arrogant... he remembers things like he's the only important thing in the universe.. and that's something we can use against him."  
  
"His memories? Who's? That bastard who killed you? How? He said that you'd become a part of him. I still don't understand..."  
  
Her lips tightened grimly. "You will."  
  
***  
  
Valgaav arched his back and opened his eyes, twin black pits of nothingness, and clawed at the sky with hands contorted into talons. It took Gaav, Mina, and Zelgadis to hold him down. Zelgadis growled in frustration.  
  
"I can't help him... it's tearing him apart from the inside out."  
  
Mina looked horrified. "What IS it? Gods... look at his eyes."  
  
Gaav snarled. "It's not a common attack. It's not one that a normal mazoku can do at all. He's forced a part of his essence into Valgaav's body. Normally the negative energy in a mazoku's astral body reacts to a physical presence by simply negating it... that's how he attacks things. Valgaav isn't just a mortal... he's a dragon AND a mazoku... and the essence is simultaneously trying to negate his physical body while absorbing his astral one."  
  
Mina blinked. "I don't follow you..."  
  
Gaav frowned. "He's created a tiny mazoku INSIDE of Valgaav, and that tiny mazoku is trying to consume enough of Valgaav to take his place."  
  
Zelgadis blinked. "How do you know all of this?"  
  
Gaav turned toward him irritably. "Because I've got all of Dnarc's memories jangled around my head, that's why. Dnarc was scared to death of Talon... Talon had one of those things inside him... he was keeping it in check and using it to blackmail Dnarc into doing anything that Talon required of him... the idiot. When I destroyed Dnarc, I noticed it, but it was so small that I simply crushed it and consumed it as well."  
  
Zel and Mina shared a sickened glance. "Ewwww..."  
  
Pix frowned. "So... why don't we just destroy this mini-Talon and save him?"  
  
Gaav sighed. "Because we'd have to destroy Valgaav as well... it's not really INSIDE him... it's more like a part of him... infecting the rest of him with my ASSHOLE of brother."  
  
"So what can we do?" Mina asked quietly.  
  
"I don't KNOW!" He pounded his fist into the ground. It left a crater.  
  
"I do!" A cheerful voice erupted from nowhere.  
  
The group turned and stared in shocked surprise, then spoke as one.  
  
"XELLOS?!"  
  
***  
  
Valgaav was suddenly blinded by an excruciating white light. Covering his face with his palm, he was surprised to find that the light still blinded him... it shone through his hand as though he were intangible. The light faded to darkness, then a man stood with his back turned to the startled half-dragon. It was a figure he couldn't possibly forget.  
  
It was that empty-eyed demon.  
  
"YOU!" He snarled, too weak to move, though he wanted to. Tess interrupted his train of thought quietly.  
  
"It's no use... he can't hear you. This is his memory... just be quiet and watch... and remember."  
  
As Valgaav watched, Talon's life began to unfold. He stared on in morbid fascination...  
  
***  
  
He wandered through something he vaguely knew to be something called snow, though how he knew this he wasn't entirely sure. His mind was a frustratingly empty blank, though odd details forced themselves into his consciousness at random intervals, such as the penetrating cold... and the howling wind. He staggered against a tree and looked about with a bewildered expression.   
  
"Where... am I? Who am I?"  
  
He shifted his hand against the tree he was leaning against and was suddenly surprised when it met no resistance... he suddenly found himself buried in the tree up to his elbow. Struggling frantically, he pulled his hand loose and stared at it.  
  
"What... am I?"  
  
***  
  
"The Shards aren't inherently evil, Valgaav... as you found out with me." Tess explained quietly. "We were born with no memory of what had happened to us previously... nothing to draw on at all. Some of us were deformed... as you see with Talon. We all wondered around, and some of us found homes... places we belonged." She smiled briefly, before her face hardened a bit. "Some of us...."  
  
***  
  
"MONSTER!!"  
  
He turned confusedly towards an angry voice and suddenly his vision exploded with white hot agony as a rock bounced off of his cheekbone. He staggered backward and held his hands up entreatingly. This was not the best course of action as his hands were the most inhuman portion of his anatomy next to his empty eyes. He spat out blood.  
  
"What did I do...?"  
  
"Ever since you came to this village, the crops have sickened and died... and people are getting sick!"  
  
"But I've done nothing..."  
  
Angry villagers looking for someone to blame don't need logic, nor will they listen to excuses...  
  
They just need someone different.  
  
***  
  
He wondered out of Sailoon, beaten and sick from hunger. The bandits left him well enough alone... he obviously had nothing of value and his differences were just evident enough to keep anyone from prying into his affairs. Finally exhausted and at the limits of his strength, he collapsed in a dry, desolate place where the sun burned like the fires of hell...  
  
A party of hunters stumbled across him where he lay, barely conscious and gibbering about a Crawling Chaos. Their original intent had been to put the Inlander out of his misery and leave him for the sand spiders but then Noric, the eldest hunter in the group, pointed out his hands and his eyes...  
  
He was taken in for the first time in his short life.  
  
Cool water touched his lips and he started awake, eyes staring at a blurred figure that filled his vision. He tried to sit up but soft hands pushed him gently down and he was too weak to resist them. His vision cleared and he found himself looking at a strangely beautiful face that was both woman and feline at the same time. He blinked rapidly but the vision before him remained the same.   
  
"Who... who are you?"  
  
She smiled. "Neela... rest easy strange one. You are amongst friends. You are safe."  
  
His eyes narrowed into empty slits. He sobbed.  
  
"Safe..?"  
  
***  
  
"Those barbarians we fought weren't always as unified as they are now... once, they were thousands of tribes scattered about the deserts squabbling over the few sources of water and regular food like vultures over a decaying carcass."  
  
"Too bad he was found by one of the relatively peaceful ones..."  
  
***  
  
Talon darted up suddenly from behind the dune he'd crouched behind for the last four hours and slapped his hand against the back of the fleeing bird's neck. Half of its throat and spine simply ceased to exist and it flipped head over heels to the ground, twitching. Its companion sqauwked in terror and darted away across the forest floor, only to stop short when the sand in front of it burst out in a cloud of slashing claws and teeth. Collapsing into a bloody heap, the bird rolled one painfilled eye as a beastwoman crouched in front of it, grinning ferally.  
  
Talon smiled, an expression that found its way more and more often to his handsome features. He chuckled.  
  
"Neela... you just had to kill it... you didn't have to butcher it as well."  
  
Neela blinked and twitched a finger at him, grinning mischievously at him. "I believe in saving time. 'Sides... the fresher it is when you carve it up, the better it tastes."  
  
He shook his head and shouldered the now still landstrider he'd downed, grinning. "Well... you get to carry it."  
  
She stuck her tongue out at him and picked it up easily, her arms rippling with muscle beneath their tawny fur coat. "Lazy."  
  
"Beast."  
  
"Dandy."  
  
They both snickered.  
  
He fell into an easy stride beside her, walking along in companionable silence through the trackless wastes that her tribe called home. It still amazed him how quickly he'd become used to life here, though at first it had been rather hard. He'd been unable to use his hands for anything until he discovered that the cloth from the clothing he wore could not be destroyed by his hands... he'd cut the surprisingly durable cloak into a pair of gloves, and that had solved his touching problem. He'd rapidly adapted the tribes clothing, with Neela's help, to his own untwisted frame and settled into life among the desert people. Though the tribe was remarkably close-knit he'd found that the differences that set him apart from the people who'd mocked and drove him out made him a well liked and respected member of the tribe... few of them had disfigurements as useful as his hands. Any awkwardness on his part had been completely erased by Neela, who'd taken an almost obsessive interest in his well being. She refused to let him feel unwanted, giving him a place to stay, a shoulder to cry on...  
  
And much more.  
  
The two of them had been planning on getting married as soon as the tribes summer journey to get away from the seasonal sandstorms had been completed.  
  
Talon was, for the first time in his life, content.  
  
This was of course the time when fate decided that enough was enough.  
  
Neela stopped and looked skyward, frowning, her expressive ears twitching.  
  
He frowned. "What is it?"  
  
Her eyes widened and she the carcass she'd been carrying dropped to the ground, forgotten. She raced forward, sprinting over the desert sands. He dropped his own burden and raced after her, panting.  
  
"Neela... what... what is it? What's going on?"  
  
"Village is under attack! The village is burning!" She panted, completely clearing the next dune in her haste to get home.  
  
He narrowed his eyes and followed, stripping his hands of his gloves as he ran. He had a feeling his talents would be needed soon.  
  
He was right.  
  
***  
  
Valgaav shook his head. "I don't understand Tess... he doesn't seem evil at all... not anywhere near what he is now."  
  
Tess sighed and sat down crosslegged. Her face looked ten years older. This was obviously not easy for her. "Love can make you do strange things Valgaav. It can make the biggest tyrant into a saint..."  
  
She closed her eyes. "And the kindest soul into a monster."  
  
***  
  
Talon stood back to back with Neela and snarled his defiance at the horde surrounding them, his hands spread wide before him. Neela growled deep in the base of her throat, clawing at the air in front of her.   
  
The large piles of dead bodies lying around them revealed why the horde was currently keeping its distance.  
  
The two hunters had arrived too late to do anything more than mourn the small village they'd been a part of, though there had been little time to do even that. They'd torn into their attackers with a vengeance, two snarling demons of fury, and though surrounded, they still had plenty of fight left. Neela's hand squeezed reassuringly on the back of his forearm and he grinned, his eyes flaring with dark fury.  
  
"So who's next?" he grinned darkly.  
  
A large form pushed its way through the crowd and their attackers scattered out of the way of the advancing giant. Stopping at the edge of their circle of death, he crossed his arms over his barrel chest and shook his head.  
  
"Heh. So that's why these incompetents are having so much trouble dealing with you two... You're one of us."  
  
Talon and Neela turned to face him, puzzlement on both their faces. Talon frowned.  
  
"One of what?"  
  
The man (though he could only be considered a man in the loosest sense of the word) shook his head, his long red hair marred by a single white streak. His mouth, something that only an alligator could love, hissed in amusement.  
  
"It doesn't matter. Haven't you idiots thought of shooting them yet?"  
  
The horde around him looked at one another uneasily. "No Malice..."  
  
He rolled his eyes. "Then DO it, morons. Aim for the boy first... he's the one we need to worry about."  
  
The sound of several bowstrings being stretched taut echoed over the dunes. Talon gritted his teeth. "Neela...," he whispered. "When they fire, use the time where they take to reload to cut your way out of here."  
  
She shook her head. "No."  
  
Talon grimaced. "Don't-"  
  
Anything he might have said to persuade her otherwise was lost as ten bows sang in unison. Talon blinked involuntarily, then the air rushed out of him violently as a densely muscled body threw itself over him and pushed him roughly to the ground. He felt the impact of the arrows striking the body over him, and he howled.  
  
"Neela! No!"  
  
All hell broke loose.  
  
***  
  
Valgaav closed his eyes. "I don't want to see this."  
  
Tess sighed. "It's not easy to deal with the fact that your enemy was human and had feelings at one time. It's important that you see it all though."  
  
"WHY?!"  
  
She looked down and whispered. "Because I don't want you doing what he did. I don't want you becoming like him."  
  
"I could never become him."  
  
"Couldn't you? You did once."  
  
"I-"  
  
"Watch."  
  
***  
  
Talon stood, covered in blood his face engulfed in the black flames that exploded out of his eye sockets. Malice giggled. It was an odd sound, coming from such a large man.  
  
"Oops... you idiots missed. Oh dear...he does look angry. I'm scared." he mocked.  
  
Talon growled. "You should be."  
  
"Shoot him idiots... and this time, don't miss."  
  
Talon gestured outward with his hands and one side of the group clustered around Malice collapsed to the ground shrieking, having been deprived of their legs (and everything below their navels). He gestured back the the other way, and the other half, which had turned and begun to run, was obliterated utterly. Malice stood in stunned silence.  
  
A weak voice penetrated the howling din and Talon blinked, then turned.  
  
"Ta... Talon.."  
  
He fell to his knees and fumbled with his gloves, struggling to pull them on half hazardly. He cursed his clumsiness.  
  
Neela smiled weakly, her lifeblood flowing out from a multitude of grievous wounds. "Talon... don't... bother."  
  
He sobbed. "I..."  
  
"Just... touch me... just once... with your hand..."  
  
"No.." he shook his head, vehemantly.  
  
She touched his face. "Please.... it... hurts."  
  
He closed his eyes for a long time, then reached up with a trembling hand and brushed her face gently.  
  
She sighed.... shuddered, and died.  
  
He turned and stood, a hole appearing in the air over his right hand. He trembled with rage and grief, his eyes still closed. Malice realized a bit too late that it would have probably been a good idea to attack him or run away while he was distracted. He giggled hysterically and fell to his knees.  
  
Then he simply wasn't.  
  
Red lightning played over Talon as he stared towards the sky in sudden, horrified realization.  
  
"YOU!! IT'S ALL YOUR DOING!! I UNDERSTAND NOW!! ALL A GAME!!" he laughed hysterically, his mind fracturing with the weight of his epiphany.   
  
"NO MOOORE!!! THIS TIME YOU WILL LOOOSE!!!" he shouted at the sky, throwing arcs of black power upward.  
  
There was no answer to his challenge.  
  
***  
  
"He wants to end the world? End the "game"? What does Sailoon have to do with this?"  
  
Tess sighed. "Guess what comes next."  
  
***  
  
He returned to Sailoon, this time cloaked to hide his differences. It struck him how different the people here were when they couldn't see your differences, kind hearted and generous. Talon wasn't fooled... he knew what they were REALLY like. He travelled in search of knowledge, and on the way, he sought out other shards, killing them as he found them. One particularly caught his attention, a nasty, foul coward of a demon that called itself Dnarc. He'd long since put together what had likely happened with Gaav's destruction, pieced together the evidence from what he'd read from the tomes he'd stolen from a guild of black mages (now all deceased) and the bits and pieces of memories stolen from the other Shards. Dnarc was powerful but stupid, and Talon decided to put him to good use, making him an agent of sorts. It was then that he discovered Sailoon's dreadful secret, something he could never have done if he hadn't been privy to the knowledge of a several thousand year old people. After careful searching it all fell into place... his plan for vengeance against the Lord of Nightmares... his plan to become a Darklord... it could be realized.... he set it in motion.  
  
***  
  
Tess rolled her eyes. "This is where it gets... self important. Like I said... Talon remembers things oddly."  
  
Valgaav blinked.  
  
***  
  
-So THAT'S it.... It's so simple! I simply had to ask myself the right question... WHY is a kingdom composed entirely of White Magic operating right in the middle of an area controlled for a millenia by mazoku? It makes no sense.... a ward SO immensely strong that only the most powerful mazoku can enter the city, and even those can't breach the central wards. Why are they so hell bent on keeping Mazoku OUT of a city they have little to no interest in? He snorted to himself over the tome he was buried in, before snapping it closed and grinning to himself.  
  
-Then you take into account that the nomads were Scarred and driven away two thousand years ago... during the War between the Dragon Kings and the Mazoku.. during the War when Shabranigdo was split into eight parts...-  
  
-Where did those parts go? The answer is so amazingly simple! Sailoon's white magic barrier wasn't created to keep mazoku out... at least not primarily. It was created to keep the most terrible of them IN, and safe from their meddling! Sailoon MUST hide a piece of Shabranigdo... its evil energies twisted those helpless savages into beasts when it fell... then along come the Knights of Cephied, who see a bunch of "monsters" wandering around... so they force those monsters away to where they belong, and settle Sailoon with the ancestors of the current bunch of pacifistic idiots that live there.-  
  
His grin widened. -So that's it, is it? Part of Shabranigdo was merged with Rezo... that gave him the human's determination... the FREE WILL that mazoku lack, to destroy the world... but that meddling sorceress stopped him. Phibriso tried to force Lina Inverse to destroy the world, since even though he was immensely powerful he lacked true free will, he almost succeeded, but he misunderstood the Lord of Nightmare's intentions and was obliterated when he tried to get her to destroy the world... in effect, he asked her to lose the game intentionally.-  
  
-Too bad for him. I have free will, being partially human, but lack the power to destroy the world. Shards can absorb other shards... perhaps I can absorb that piece of Shabranigdo, or in the very least, set it free... then I will have the power I need...-  
  
He clenched his fist. "I've got you this time... bitch."  
  
***  
  
Valgaav shook his head in horror... "Then why... why is he assaulting Sailoon with an army? Why are they following him?"  
  
Her mouth set into an angry line. "He's using them for cover. They think he's leading them to their rightful homeland... they think he's their messiah. He knows he doesn't have the power to confront Xellas and Xellos face to face, and if Xellas finds out he's trying to EAT their dark god, then he's as good as dead. He's using the army to get close to Sailoon and to shatter the barrier for him... and look like he's doing it because he's trying to rule the world. The mazoku have been trying to turn Sailoon into their own personal playground for centuries... the thought of a kingdom of White Magic really pisses them off. They aren't going to try to stop him... they MIGHT have even helped him, if they weren't so undermanned at the moment."  
  
Valgaav shook his head... "I can't believe... it... that monster is using these people like... like..."  
  
Tess nodded grimly. Then she turned suddenly and gasped, fading from view almost in an instant. Valgaav reached for her, but his hand passed through empty air.  
  
Talon appeared from the shadows and grinned at him. "That's quite enough of that. I think it's time we got a little... better acquainted.   
  
Valgaav screamed.  
  
***  
  
Zelgadis grimaced as he caught sight of the trickster he so despised. "It's you! I knew you had to be a part of this somehow."  
  
Gaav drew his sword and it flashed forward, ending so close to Xellos' face that the the tip dimpled the flesh of his nose. Xellos sweatdropped.  
  
"You'd better talk fast Xellos... I haven't forgotten your impertinence the LAST time we met."  
  
He stopped when Mina stalked past him and wrapped her hands lovingly around Xellos' throat and proceeded to try and throttle the life out of him, Mazoku or no.  
  
"YOU!! THIS IS ALL YOUR FAULT!! MAKE A NAME FOR MYSELF MY ASS!!! BANDIT KING MY ASS!! YOU ALMOST GOT ME KILLED TWICE YOU PURPLE HAIRED-"  
  
"Three times." Xellos supplied helpfully.  
  
"THREE TIMES YOU-"  
  
He opened his eyes. "Really? You'd rather NOT have met Gaav?"  
  
Mina blinked and released him, blushing. "Well."  
  
Gaav crossed his arms looking annoyed... Xellos never failed to turn the tables on you... even when he was short a few limbs.  
  
Zelgadis looked back down at the convulsing half-dragon disapearing before him, he narrowed his eyes. "Look, all this is going to have to wait... if you know something that can save him, you'd better do it now. Otherwise I don't think he's going to make it."  
  
Xellos raised a finger. "Exactly. I'ts not WHAT can save him, rather WHO."  
  
Gaav frowned. "Well?"  
  
Xellos straightened his cloak. "His mother."  
  
Gaav's eyes widened. "HUH?!"  
  
Mina snapped her fingers. "He means Filia... she raised him during his second childhood... after he.."  
  
She stopped when she noticed a glazed look in Gaav's eyes. "Er... nevermind... I'll tell you later. There's no way we can get him to her in time... she's like, four hundred miles that way." she pointed.  
  
Gaav groaned. "Why is it always x hundred miles in the direction we've already travelled?"  
  
Xellos grinned. "Actually she's only fifty miles due south. They're having something of a problem tracking you two down for some reason."  
  
Mina and Gaav frowned sarcastically. "Gee I wonder why THAT is." They muttered in unison.  
  
Xellos shrugged. "Anyway, I can lead you to them, but you have to hurry. Valgaav doesn't have much time left."  
  
Zelgadis nodded. "Alright, let's arrange some sort of litter... Mina you-"  
  
Gaav growled. "No time." He picked the unconscious half-dragon up easily and slung him up over his shoulder like a sack of potatoes. "Let's go."  
  
Zelgadis blinked. "Or we could go with the second option..."  
  
Xellos grinned. "Follow me everyone! Lina and the others are this way!"  
  
Mina suddenly paled. "Oh dear gods...."  
  
The group looked at her in askance. "What?"  
  
She slapped her forehead. "My mom's gonna kill me."  
  
Zelgadis and Gaav shared a worried look.  
  
*** 


	23. Parental Confrontations: Past, Present,...

"While there's children to make sad, while there's candy to be had, while there's pockets left to pick, while there's grannies to trip down the stairs... I'll be there, I'll be waiting 'round the corner, It's a game I'm glad I'm in it, 'cause there's one born every minute! It's so easy when you're evil! This is the life you see, the Devil tips his hat to me! I do it all because I'm evil! And I do it all for free... your tears are all the pay I'll ever need." Voltaire, The Mephistopheles Waltz  
  
Zelgadis had seen a great many strange things in his long career as a "cold-hearted magical swordsman". He'd seen the deaths of three Dark Lords and a demon beast. He'd seen the Lord of Nightmares wear one of his best friends like a suit and reduce a ghost city to ash. He'd even seen every single male companion he'd ever traveled with in drag including himself (a fact that caused him no few nightmares, though he'd never admit this fact to anyone). Having seen so many strange things, one would think that he'd become accustomed to impossibilities popping up in his life like spam email.  
  
Still, if someone had told him that he would one day be traveling with one of the aforementioned Dark Lords, the aforementioned Darklord's girlfriend (this being an indisputable fact) who just so happened to be an Inverse, the Dark Lord's wounded, reformed minion, and a pixie, he'd have probably given them one of his unamused looks before continuing on his merry way.  
  
The Dark Lord in question bore his unconscious burden in stoic silence, his mouth compressed into a grim line. Mina walked closely to his left, her hand unconsciously placed over the pommel of her new sword, partly to assure herself that it was still there (the thing weighed absolutely nothing, and thus far she'd whapped her elbow smartly on it not once but THREE times, something she hadn't done since her father had begun her training) and partly because she was dreading the upcoming meeting with her parents. Her father, she was sure, would accept her relationship with her burly companion with his usual clueless benevolence, (He probably didn't even remember Gaav's NAME, let alone the life or death struggle he'd fought with the Dark Lord some twenty years ago) but she wasn't worried about her FATHER. It was her mother who weighed heavily on her thoughts. The two of them had not parted on the best of terms, and in the years between their last fight Mina hadn't even gone home to visit.  
  
Not once.  
  
The reason for this stemmed entirely from the nature of their last big argument. Mina's grip on her sword tightened as she recalled the hurtful words that had exploded between the two of them like thrown spells. She wished she could take back some of the things she'd said. Unfortunately the road forward, while shrouded in darkness most of the time, is a far easier path to travel then the road back. The road back home could become so cluttered and overgrown with the brambles and thorns of anger and misunderstanding that one's inertia can make any attempts to forgive and forget impossible...  
  
Until at last it was too late.  
  
It was one of those arguments that always springs up sooner or later, though the stubborness and strong-willed (not to mention short tempered) nature of both mother and daughter had worked to excerbate the situation to catastrophic levels. Her eyes appeared to become focused on the road in front of her, when in actuality they had turned inward, toward a time not too long ago (though it seemed an eternity, but then, life with Gaav can do that to you) when a fledgling hero was preparing to make her way into the world, though wiser heads had told her it was-  
  
***  
  
"-Idiotic! I can't believe a daughter of mine could be so dense! You aren't anywhere NEAR ready to start adventuring yet! Not until you've mastered the Ragna Blade!" Lina's strident voice carried through the Gabriev home with the force of a small hurricane. Mina turned and fixed her mother with an infuriated scowl.  
  
"You know damn well that I'm NEVER going to master that spell! I've got the incantation down perfectly, everything I need to cast it is in place! I just don't have the power to handle it mom!"  
  
Lina sneered. "Listen to yourself... you sound like one of my other students." she gestured angrily, her voice ringing in a mocking, sing-song parody of said students. "I CAN'T learn it! It's too HARD! Just how impressed is a mazoku going to be when you start throwing excuses his way rather than spells!?"  
  
"You aren't LISTENING to me!" Mina growled in frustration. "You NEVER listen to me! I didn't say I couldn't LEARN it! I've LEARNED it just fine, you've said so yourself. I'm telling you I just CAN'T cast it! I can cast everything else you've taught me-"  
  
Lina crossed her arms. "I said no and that's that. Besides, you're too-"  
  
Mina slammed her hand down on their kitchen table. Gourry (who'd been miserably seated at the far end of the table trying not to be noticed, which was his usual position in a parent/child dispute) looked up in alarm.   
  
Mina looked at the table top, trying to compose herself and failing miserably. "Don't even SAY I'm too young mother. You were younger then I am when you started adventuring, and YOU couldn't cast the Ragna Blade either. You didn't even KNOW it. Not to mention I'm much better prepared then you were back then, since I'm ten times better with a sword then you were! You just don't think I can take care of myself!"  
  
"You're right Mina, I don't! I've BEEN there! It's a hard life, adventuring, and I just don't think you-"  
  
"You're just afraid I'll end up like YOU!" Mina snapped, then instantly regretted it.  
  
"WHAT DID YOU SAY?" Lina blinked in hurt astonishment.  
  
Gourry added his two cents worth. "I think that-"  
  
Unfortunately it came up a little short.  
  
"SHUT UP Gourry!" Lina turned on her husband angrily. "You don't think, that's the problem!"  
  
Gourry looked down, a hurt look on his face. Lina didn't notice, but then, she was hurting herself.  
  
"Mina, I don't want you adventuring. You just don't..." she stopped when she realized that Mina was no longer listening to her. Or even in the room.   
  
Mina kicked their front door open angrily (Which was a bad thing. The Gabriev family door had quite merrily opened inward for the better part of two decades, and did not appreciate the sudden change in lifestyles) and stalked out, no longer listening to her mother's angry tirade. She'd finally had enough of her mother's excuses. That was all they were, excuses. She'd had enough of her mother's constant criticism and nitpicking. Of never measuring up to the famous Sorceresses' impossibly high standards. She'd-  
  
She stopped and blinked confusedly. She had somehow walked two miles down the country road before realizing what she was doing. Now she was out here, Mom was undoubtedly through the roof, and she didn't even have a sword, any supplies, not even a change of clothing. She sighed. She was going to have to go back..  
  
NO. She wasn't going back there. She'd think of something... she'd...  
  
"Uh... Mina... your Mother says you have to come back home... now." Gourry sounded as though it had taken some effort to repeat her mother's demand in something resembling it's original form. Mina sighed. This was the same man who barked orders at green recruits with the best of them. It was a good thing they didn't know how her father really was at home.  
  
A really good thing.  
  
"I'm not going home Dad. I'm an adventurer now. You're just going to have to tell Mom I'm not-"  
  
"Without any food? Clothes? I'm not as smart as you two... but I know you don't want to leave without THAT stuff." Gourry frowned. "Not to mention a sword."  
  
Mina blinked in surprise... this was her Dad? Old clueless himself? She was caught without an answer. She was further flabbergasted when a sword hit the dusty road at her feet. She turned to regard her father curiously.  
  
He held his own blade before him, a deadly serious look on his face. "Well Mina... I think it's time for you to show me what you know. 'Cause if you can't beat me..."   
  
He widened his stance out. Mina blinked in stunned surprise. "Then you aren't ready to leave the house."  
  
Mina picked up the sword and drew it, surprised to see that it was a real one and not a practice sword. She turned to Gourry-  
  
-Only to clumsily parry a lightning series of blows as her father advanced grimly upon her. She jumped back avoiding a thrust and looked at him incredulously.  
  
"You... you're really fighting me!" she exclaimed, stunned.  
  
"Of course I am." She leapt over his sword then rolled right as he continued his relentless assault. "If you can't beat an aging warrior like me..." she parried and finally managed to get a weak attack in, which he parried so hard her sword nearly slipped out of her numbed fingers. "Then I wouldn't trust you to fight any bandits. Besides... if you think I'm facing your mother alone right now, you're crazy!" He smiled grimly and parried two more frenzied swings with practiced ease.  
  
Mina began fighting in deadly earnest, using every bit of the skill her father had imparted into her with many a year's hard training. She limited her motions to use up the least amount of energy possible, and schooled her features to betray nothing to her "enemy". She couldn't prevent her mouth from forming a smile though... she enjoyed everything about swordplay, and her father was the best swordman (arguably) the world had ever seen.   
  
Unfortunately she was about to learn an age-old adage of students and masters...   
  
Namely, that he may have taught her everything that she knew, but he had not taught her everything that HE knew.  
  
He thrust forward at an odd angle and caught her sword beneath the gaurd, twisting it expertly and forcing it out of her grasp and high up into the air. She stared at him in dismay for less then a second, then threw herself into a backward flip. Gourry blinked momentarily (such acrobatics were not something HE'D ever taught her) then advanced on her, slashing as he did so. Mina continued flipping backward, barely avoiding his attacks each time, before reaching up just at the right moment, catching her blade before it hit the ground, and bringing it up into a desperate slash-  
  
-finding Gourry's sword an inch from her nose-  
  
-and her own an inch from his neck.  
  
He blinked.  
  
"Where did you learn that?" he frowned.  
  
Mina was still slightly out of breath, but she grinned and lowered her weapon. "It's... something... I made up."  
  
He grinned proudly. "Wow... You're so smart."  
  
He lowered his own weapon and sheathed it. Then he dropped a bag in front of her stunned gaze. "This should be enough until you knock off your first group of bandits. Gimme that sword."  
  
She blinked. "But... I need a sword.."  
  
He took it from her and grinned. "Yeah... but this one's just a standard issue Sailoonian Gaurdsman's sword. I want you to have this one."  
  
He removed a sheathed sword from behind his back and held it to her hilt first. She took it numbly and stared at him in confusion. "But that's your... why are you..."  
  
Gourry winked at her. "I know what your mother can be like. I've been with her for..." he stopped. He looked upward, his features becoming blank in concentration. "Well... a long time. If this is what you want to do, then you are more then ready to do it."  
  
"I... Dad..." Tears filled her eyes. "What about Mom?"  
  
He smiled gently. "Your mother knows you're ready... she's just scared. Sometimes she has problems seeing what she's really feeling,so she see's something else that isn't really what she's feeling but IS kind of but... so she... um..." he frowned. "Uh..."  
  
She hugged her father tightly. He was right. In his own way.  
  
***  
  
"-MINA!" She started, then looked around her confusedly. Gaav stared at her suspiciously. "Are you alright?"  
  
"Yeah... just... kinda preoccupied." she sighed, whapping her elbow against her sword again. Dang it.  
  
Zelgadis had been staring intently at Xellos' back for the past several minutes, an intensely speculative look on his face. He matched his stride to Mina's own and frowned.  
  
"Mina... this whole thing stinks, and I'm pretty sure Xellos is the one behind it all."  
  
Mina frowned. "I know that, Zelgadis... my mother hasn't left her home except to visit friends in over fifteen years... now all of the sudden her, dad, and auntie Filia are out "looking for me"?"  
  
Zelgadis nodded shortly. "Exactly... it's obvious that Xellos has been herding us all together... what I can't figure is why he was trying to keep you and your mother apart up until now."  
  
"We might have bigger problems, Zel... mom and Gaav aren't exactly the best of friends... I don't think he'd just attack her... but if SHE attacks HIM..." Mina shuddered. "We don't have time for any confusion... Valgaav is in really bad shape." She cast a concerned glance back at the half-dragon in question, shuddering weakly in the iron grip of a concerned Dark Lord.  
  
Zelgadis sighed. "I think the best thing would be for me to go ahead of the rest of this little "procession" and try to explain things to Lina before the rest of you get there... so she doesn't get the wrong idea."  
  
Mina nodded. "I think that's-"  
  
"A great idea!" Xellos chirped cheerfully, from about a foot away. Zelgadis and Mina jumped suddenly, then blinked and looked at Xellos as though he'd grown a second head.  
  
"How long have YOU been here?" Mina growled.  
  
"Mina... you really SHOULD pay more attention... I've been here the whole time!" He smiled at her. "Not to worry though... I think Zelgadis going on ahead would be an excellent idea!"  
  
Zelgadis narrowed his eyes. Xellos AVOIDING confusion? Xellos PREVENTING chaos? Things began to click into place for the observant chimera. When Xellos had first appeared to their group, Zelgadis had marked something out of place... something not quite RIGHT with the situation, but he hadn't been able to put his finger on it. This feeling had persisted, hence his careful observation of the irritating mazoku. Finally he was able to put all the pieces together, though the completed puzzle made no sense to him at all...  
  
Xellos was AFRAID. This in and of itself was odd, since even when the Mazoku had been torn in two he'd been nothing more then mildly concerned. The bombshell was, Xellos wasn't afraid for HIMSELF.  
  
He was afraid for Valgaav.   
  
Zelgadis smoothed his features into practiced neutrality, and cast a warning glance at Pix, who was looking at him with a question in her eyes. His face might be inscrutable to most of his small band, but Pix knew him a little better then all of them. He decided to keep his observations to himself.  
  
For now.  
  
"Anyway, I assume Lina is just a bit further up this road, am I correct?"  
  
Xellos grinned. "Absolutely!"  
  
He nodded to Mina. "I'm on my way... I'll try to smooth things over for you. Pix-" he turned to her and frowned.   
  
She fluttered to his shoulder and landed, biting her lip. "Yes, master?"  
  
"I want you to stay with Mina. If Valgaav dies... from what Gaav was saying, a Mazoku is going to take over his body. If that happens..." he sighed. "I want you to assist Mina in taking it down." He cast a glance at Gaav, who nodded grimly.  
  
Pix frowned, but nodded quietly. "I hope it doesn't come to that, Master."  
  
He nodded. "So do I."  
  
He turned back to Xellos and fixed him with another speculative gaze, but the enigmatic mazoku revealed nothing.  
  
He nodded shortly to Mina, then then spread his arms and formed a Raywing around himself. Taking off, he was soon a fast dwindling speck in the distance.   
  
Xellos watched him leave, grinning outwardly...  
  
Though his staff had several new grooves.  
  
***  
  
"Ooooohhhh... my head..."  
  
Lina glanced irritably at the hungover dragon, her patience at it's limit. "You did this to yourself, so stop complaining!!"  
  
Amelia gave Lina a concerned look. "That isn't very fair Lina... I mean-"  
  
Filia growled at the sorceress. "It was either that or drown!! Would you rather I drown?!" she winced at her own scathing tone and held her head. "Oww."  
  
Lina remained silent as they walked but the expression on her face gave Filia her answer. She suffered in silence.  
  
Gourry patted Filia on the shoulder and smiled. "What you need is a hairy dog."  
  
The group stopped dead in their tracks and looked at him in stunned shock.  
  
Gourry blinked. "My dad always used to say he needed a hairy dog to bite him. My father was great for stuff like that."  
  
Lina slapped her forehead. "Somehow, that doesn't surprise me."  
  
Hydra gave Langdelin a meaningful look. He sighed and shrugged.  
  
"Great Zomelgustar, I shalt be happy only when this blasted quest is at an end. Have ye no backbones, varlets?! We hath surmounted impossible odds and numerous trials! The final battle awaits!"  
  
He pointed his sword and grinned fiercely. "Yon enemy awaits! Onward!"  
  
Hydra tapped his shoulder. "Er... Sentinel is that way..." she pointed helpfully in the opposite direction.  
  
Zelgadis came over the rise at that exact moment.  
  
Langdelin blinked. Looked in awe at his blade, then the fires of fanaticism burned fiercely in his eyes. "HAHAHA!!! Zomelgustar is not fooled! Look at the horrible countenance of badness that faces us using foul sorcery to attack from behind!! DID I NOT SAY THAT EVIL WAS TRICKY?!! EXCELSIOR!!" He charged forward joyously-  
  
-and slammed face first into Zelgadis' Raywing. He remained there, plastered against it like a bug on a windshield. Hydra winced.  
  
Lina waved wearily. "Hiya Zel... what're you doin' here?"  
  
Zelgadis crossed his arms and gave Langdelin his unamused look. "Friend of yours?"  
  
Langdelin slid, sqeaking gently, slowly down the face of the force bubble and towards the ground . Zelgadis shook his head in wonder, then dropped to the ground and cancelled his spell. "The reason I'm here-"   
  
"Zelgadis!!" Amelia ran forward, stars in her eyes.  
  
"Thump", said Langdelin, stars also in his eyes...  
  
Zelgadis caught her easily before she could throw him off balance and spun her around in a circle to get rid of her momentum before setting her down gently. "A-Amelia?! What are YOU doing here?"  
  
"What am I doing here?" Amelia blinked. "I'm here to help Miss lina..."  
  
"Then..." He frowned. "Who's running Sailoon?"  
  
Amelia blinked. "Why... my officials of course. Don't worry about Sailoon... my father used to go off on quests to end some threat to Sailoon all the time..."  
  
He shrugged. "Oh... well it's nice to see you again then Princess.. excuse me... your majesty."  
  
Amelia looked deeply hurt. "Nice... to... see me again? We haven't seen each other in fifteen years and all you have to say is "nice to see you again"?"  
  
He blinked. "Why... isn't it nice?"  
  
Lina slapped her forehead. How the hell could such an intelligent guy be so damn clueless? "Anyway... WHAT are you doing here Zelgadis?"  
  
He raised an eyebrow. "I might ask the same question of you guys, but I think I already know the answer."  
  
Lina frowned. "Gaav has returned, and he's kidnapped Mina. We have to save her, Zel."  
  
Zelgadis raised one craggy eyebrow. "Indeed? Who, exactly, gave you this information?"  
  
Lina frowned. "Well... Xellos... why?"  
  
Zelgadis sighed. "There's a big surprise... it all starts making sense now."  
  
Gourry frowned. "Well... I hope it makes sense to someone else, because none of this has made sense to me from the beginning. I just figured Xellos was behind the whole thing."  
  
They all looked at him. Lina growled irritably. "and WHY did you come to this conclusion jellyfish brain?"  
  
Gourry grinned happily. "Well... because Xellos is behind everything!"  
  
Zelgadis shrugged, closed his eyes, and smiled. "Well... in this case, I think Gourry is right. Xellos told you Mina got kidnapped. Xellos told Mina that Gaav was a Bandit King or something and she WAS kidnapped... but now the two of them... Well let's just say there's some things that Xellos neglected to mention."  
  
Lina frowned. "Like what?"  
  
"Well... like the fact that your daughter is in love with him."  
  
The group blinked at him in stunned shock, with the exception of Langdelin (Whose enthusiastic charge had abruptly made him a temporary resident in Lala Land) and Gourry (for whom breathing had much the same effect..). Lina blinked suddenly.   
  
"Wow.." she said slowly. "I think I just went insane. I thought I just heard you say my daughter was in love with a Dark Lord..."  
  
Zelgadis sighed. "We have to talk..."  
  
***  
  
Author's Note: Well folks, chapter 23 has come and gone, and I would like to start by explaining why I've put off the Mina/Lina confrontation once again. The conflict in question requires a certain amount of set up, otherwise it wouldn't turn out the way I want it to. I found when I finished this part, that I had enough material to make a chapter, and since it would have probably taken me longer to make a BIG chapter that had this and what I intend to be in the next one, and that means more time between chapters. I figured I would cut this one into two chapters so I could post it more quickly.  
  
In other news, I want to discuss this whole FF.net thing. For those of you who don't know, posting on FF.net is very inconvienient for me, because I have very limited access to the internet. I am in the Arabian gulf, on the John C. Stennis, and it is a miracle of technology that I have access at all. I promised to continue posting on FF.net mainly because there are fans of my work here, and because the SoC mainsite was horrendously far behind. AA has put alot of work into it though, and it's all caught up, meaning that the time between me finishing a chapter and having it posted on FF.net is usually only a week longer then normal, and the one on the SoC site is final draft, fully edited material.  
  
I guess what I'm trying to say is, I'm not going to post SoC on FF.net anymore, UNLESS people send me emails telling me otherwise. If I don't get any, I'll assume that the SoC rate of update is good enough, and stop posting further chapters here. Really, you're better off that way, because as I said before, the material there is finished, and you get nifty chapter art as well. So, to make this fair, here's my email address on the boat:  
  
cuellarc@stennis.navy.mil  
  
Thank you for reading my story, and for your time.  
  
DT 


	24. And Then Things Got A Little Wierd

"Years and years of... bloodshed and warfare... our mission was only to get in and kill, a free vacation; palm trees and shrapnel, trading in essence for permanant psychotic hell! Hearing voices from miles away, saying things never said. Seeing shadows in the light of the day, waging the war inside my head. feeling strangers staring my way, reading ryhmes never read. Tasting danger with each word I say, waging the war inside my head!" -War Inside My Head, Dream Theater  
  
"...I'm not entirely sure about HOW it happened Lina, I'm not what you'd call an expert on human/mazoku er... relations. If I were to hazard a guess, I would have to lay it at the feet of adversity. By adversity I mean Xellos, of course."   
  
"Uh huh. Trust me Zelgadis, I know ALL about adversity. L-sama knows, pudding-head and I have been through scads of it. Still, neither adversity nor Xellos ever made ME the slightest bit inclined towards falling in love with a DARK LORD!!!"  
  
"Well, in her defense Lina, she didn't KNOW he was a Dark Lord until very recently. He's changed alot, since we last met him."  
  
"I would imagine he'd kinda have to, since the last time we met him he tried to kill us!"  
  
"Look Lina, what's done is done. Mina's a fine young girl if you ask me, she's got her head screwed on straight, she knows when to duck, and she's just as cunning and underhanded as YOU ever were, and I mean that as a compliment." He paused for a moment, trying to think of a diplomatic way to say what needed to be said next, then continued, figuring he was hard-headed enough to survive whatever wrath she felt inclined to bestow upon him. "Unfortunately she also inherited your tendancy towards mulish stubbornness, and I can guarantee you that trying to talk her out of this is a waste of time and breath. As I said earlier, we are a little short on time, hence my presence here to give you a bit of an "Oh by the way". This isn't infatuation Lina... she was perfectly willing to sacrifice herself for him." He stared at her levelly.  
  
Lina sighed. "I don't suppose there's any possiblity Xellos did something to her that MADE her fall in love with Gaav, is there?"  
  
Zelgadis raised an eyebrow. "Aside from dropping her in his lap, GURK!" His voice became a choked gurgle. "Figuratively speaking of course..." His voice returned to normal octaves as Lina relaxed her grip on his throat. "First of all, Xellos and Gaav aren't exactly best pals - if you know what I mean. Secondly, if Xellos could have done something like that, why didn't he use it on YOU? You'd have been alot more useful to him if you were in love with-"  
  
"No... don't say it Zel... I get the point. Alright. In the interest of helping Valgaav, I'll keep quiet, for now. Shut up Filia." She remarked, her eyes flicking to the distressed Dragon, then back to Zelgadis. "But my daughter and I are about due for a little chat."  
  
Zelgadis grinned. "Well... this is going better then I had originally hoped."  
  
Lina sighed wearily. "I've grown up a bit in the last ten years Zelgadis. Being a mother will do that to you."  
  
Right. I don't suppose you could let me down now?" He asked reasonably, suspended a foot off the ground with the irate sorceress' hands clenched in a deathgrip on his collar.  
  
"I'll get back to you on that." She growled sweetly.  
  
He sweatdropped.  
  
***  
  
Many are the romantic epics that have expounded on the magical properties of love. Such statements as "Love Can Give You Wings", and "Love Conquers All", have been postulated to the sighing contentment of hordes of adolescent females.  
  
Mina was beginning to doubt the veracity of said epics.  
  
For instance, while the above statements have been mentioned time and time again, no romantic epic has ever gone on record as having stated, "Love Gives You A Headache". More importantly, no romantic epic has continued this statement with, "...Because The One You Love Is A Loud, Insensative, Loutish Dark Lord Whom You'd Really Like To Hurt Because He Refuses To See Reason, (Reason being in this case, doing things Mina's way) But Who You Can't Really, Because The Bastard Is Probably Right, Not To Mention Damn Near Impossible To Hurt, Physically."  
  
Although to raise a valid point in the above-mentioned romantic epics' argument, this statement is rather specific.  
  
"No you cannot just, "knock my mother out", and that's that." She said, rubbing the bridge of her nose tiredly.  
  
"Look, I understand she's your mother, believe me... there's no way I could miss THAT little fact." He gave her a half-lidded, annoyed look to emphasize what he thought of said fact. "...I also understand that I'm going to have to let her live.... ah... excuse me, to live with that fact. The problem is, she's never going to let us just walk on up and hand over Valgaav, and right now he doesn't have the time. I'm telling you, one quick smack and she'll be senseless for the duration." He grinned, since the logic in his statement was pragmatic and probably the most expendient way to deal with a problem that loomed ever closer with each step. Not to mention it let him hit someone he didn't particularly care much for.  
  
Probably very hard.  
  
A sharp, stinging slap to the side of brow made him blink. It was a very small slap, not unlike what might have happened if an extremely flat beetle had made an error in judgement while rounding his head and slammed into him. He turned to regard Pix irritably.  
  
"Shame on you!" Pix glared at him, her arms crossed. "Talking about hitting her mother. That's just terrible!"  
  
"She hit me first." He grumbled irritably. The Demon Dragon King was not accustomed to being talked to like he was a recalcitrant child.   
  
"Well I'm sure you deserved it." Pix said with a nod of her head, fluttering off towards Mina. Mina sighed.  
  
"Gaav, logically, knocking my mother unconscious would be a quick, albeit temporary, solution. However, I don't think my Aunt, nor Mr. Zelgadis, not to mention my Dad, would appreciate you smacking her around. Furthermore, when she woke up, I doubt she'd be inclined to forgive and forget, if you know what I mean."  
  
Gaav muttered something that sounded alot like, "IF she woke up.." and looked the other way. Mina frowned.  
  
"Gaav, my mother and I don't often see eye to eye, and she can be overbearing at times, but she IS my mom, and I do love her. This isn't going to be a big problem, is it?"  
  
Gaav sighed. "No. I guess I'm still having problems dealing with this whole love thing. It's forcing me to react to things in a manner I'm beginning to have serious misgivings about."  
  
She rounded on him and stared up into his eyes. "Like ME?"  
  
He growled. "Did I say you? Don't jump to conclusions. You always-"  
  
"PEOPLE! There is NO time for this!" Pix shouted at the top of her lungs. "Do I need to remind you both that the whole reason Master Zelgadis went on ahead was to AVOID confrontations?"  
  
She rounded on Gaav. "YOU, need to be a little bit more sensative to Mina's feelings, which I know you are perfectly capable of, despite what you might say."  
  
She rounded on Mina. "YOU, need to realize that the mere FACT he's capable of loving ANYTHING is a miracle in and of itself. There are going to be some problems at first, because this isn't only alien to him, it's completely against everything his race stands for."  
  
She sighed deeply and muttering darkly to herself as she fluttered ahead past Xellos, who had remained silent (but grinning) during the exchange. Mina and Gaav shared a stunned look.  
  
"How is it she always manages to make me feel like a big kid?" Gaav mused out loud.  
  
"Because you are..." Mina sighed. "But then, apparently so am I."  
  
The two of them continued along in silence.  
  
***  
  
Filia looked worriedly over the horizon, then back at Zelgadis (who, after the cessation of Lina's assault on his dignity had taken his normal, aloof, just-a-part-of-the-background position) who was currently leaning against a large oak tree and attempting to ignore Amelia, who was apparently angry at him for (in his estimation) some incomprehensible reason.  
  
"Maybe I should go to him, instead of having him come here." Filia muttered worriedly, returning to her study of the horizon.  
  
Zelgadis shrugged. "It wouldn't save much time to be honest. I think it would be best to let them come here, since this IS the most easily defended area for miles around, at least as far as I could see. If anyone attacks while you are healing him, we'll be forced to defend you... which will be alot easier if we are all together and in a relatively secluded area."  
  
"What exactly is the nature of his injury?" Filia inquired.  
  
Zelgadis frowned. "The best way to describe it would be a parasitic infestation. This enemy he fought, whoever he was, somehow forced a part of his essence into Valgaav, and it's eating him alive. At least, that's the way it was described to me. I've never seen anything like it before."  
  
He narrowed his eyes and looked towards the direction of Filia's search. "One thing's for sure... if he doesn't get help soon..." He let the sentence hang. No more really needed to be said.   
  
***  
  
The two groups stared at each other uneasily. It was an uneven match up if ever there was one. Lina glared intently at Mina, who studiously avoided looking at her, looking instead at her father, who appeared to be uncertain as to whether Gaav or Lina was the bigger threat (and therefore, whom he should be watching). Gaav, for his part, glared at Lina. His gaze suggested that he wanted to do things entirely unappropriate for PG-13 audiences, perhaps even R. Zelgadis studiously ignored Amelia while helping Filia set up a makeshift "operating" area for Valgaav, who moaned and twitched restlessly in his painfilled slumber. Amelia helped Filia move the stricken half-dragon onto his makeshift "bed" but wasn't helping overly much because she was also trying to glare suspiciously at Pix, who was in turn attempting (unsuccessfully) to assist her master in his preparations, while simultaniously trying to get his attention.  
  
Sir Langdelin watched the inside of his eyelids, still quite unconscious after his faceplant and subsequent trampling. He did have rather interesting dreams about being beaten gently by two large, fluffy pillows, but this was more less because Hydra had taken immediate (and nearly obsessive) interest in his wellbeing, caring for him herself.  
  
No one was entirely certain whether to be sorry for him or Hydra. Or even to be sorry.  
  
Xellos watched everything with a grin, and would have wished he had a camera, had he known what the hell a camera was.  
  
Gourry, as usual, was the first person to break the ice, by a simple expedient - he was unaware there was any.  
  
"So Mina! How's the adventuring life treating ya!" He asked, grinning proudly.  
  
She blinked, looked at Gaav, then her mother, then grinned weakly. "Well enough... I haven't... ahem... done anything to really brag about, but-"  
  
Lina shook her head slowly, running a hand through her hair in exasperation. "Oh I don't know... falling in love with a Dark Lord is a pretty... big accomplishment."  
  
Mina turned red and opened her mouth to say something, but stopped when Gaav's hand raised momentarily. Gaav stared down at Lina coldly, anger flaring sullenly in his eyes. He half smiled, half snarled.   
  
"What's the matter Lina Inverse? Am I not GOOD enough for your daughter?"  
  
Lina stared up at him, unfazed despite the worried looks the rest of the party gave the two of them. She crossed her arms.   
  
"No... you're not. I think the only thing you're going to give her is heartache and pain."  
  
He clenched his fists in anger, winds beginning to swirl around him sluggishly. Mina took his hand and shook her head.  
  
The winds stopped when Lina interrupted what he was going to say next.  
  
"But... it's not my decision." She looked down, feeling her age. "My daughter, whether I like it or not, is a grown woman, and she's quite free to make her own decisions, however foolish they might be."  
  
Mina blinked in surprised shock, searching her mother's face for some hint of rebuke. Lina shook her head slowly.  
  
"I'll admit that mistakes were made in the past..." She looked sideways. Mina didn't press the issue. Both of them realized how hard this was for her.  
  
"Still, you and I need to have a talk, Mina. You disappear for three years and not a word in all that time? I was worried sick about you."  
  
Mina looked away. "I can take care of myself, mom...." She sighed. "But... I am... sorry."  
  
Filia stepped between the two groups and looked at both sides dismally. "I'm afraid this is going to be complicated, and I'm going to need help from both sides. I hope you can put aside your differences for this."  
  
Both sides looked to their respective leaders (and biggest hotheads). After glaring at each other silently for several seconds, Lina finally nodded resignedly. Gaav continued to stare at her for several seconds, then his gaze slid to his wounded servant. His servant, who wasn't really his servant anymore. What did the boy mean to him, exactly? Long ago, for reasons he hadn't understood fully at the time, Gaav had given the young dragon a new life. By right, it was by his will that the boy's life should be ended, either by faithful service or by his hand. He doubted that Valgaav would serve him again... judging from the tattered remains of his armor he had already chosen his new master, though no one else seemed to notice that. Still, Gaav felt some responsibility for the boy's predicament... this was probably an insult directed at him by Talon, who was trying to send the message that Gaav wasn't powerful enough to care for his servants. His hand clenched on the pommel of his sword. So be it. This was his responsibility to see through; whether it be the boy's destruction, or his recovery. Personal grudges had to be set aside.  
  
"What do you need me to do?" He growled softly.  
  
The tension cleared suddenly as various hands slipped from their swords. Filia let out a sigh of relief.  
  
Filia cleared her throat. "I need to cast a rather lengthy but extremely powerful healing spell. I cannot be interrupted during the process, or we stand a good chance of losing him... and me." She stared hard at Xellos, who was completely serious (for once).  
  
"I will be very vulnerable during this, but that's not all. Just healing Valgaav won't be enough... the alien presence in him has to be purged. The normal method of simply blasting it out won't work... the only thing keeping him alive is his mazoku self... and I wouldn't purge that even if I could."  
  
Everyone blinked in surprise, even Xellos. He fingered his chin thoughtfully.  
  
"I would think you'd relish a chance to make Valgaav less... dynamic." Xellos cocked his head thoughtfully.  
  
Filia sighed. "I made that mistake once. I love Valgaav... all of him. Being part Mazoku is how he is... I can't... won't change that."  
  
Xellos stared hard at her for a long time, then looked away unconcernedly. Gaav snorted.  
  
"I don't see what this has to do with me."  
  
Filia sighed. "Like it or not, you are the major link to his mazoku nature. The part of him that came from you is what made him seek you out, instinctively. I have to go inside his mind and seperate him from the invader that is tearing apart his self. If I had a beacon that he'd recognize on a gut level, that would be alot easier."  
  
Gaav frowned. "You said any interruption could prove fatal for the boy and for you as well. What of myself?"  
  
Lina narrowed her eyes. Here it was. Damned out of his own mouth. As he'd once said, all mazoku would sell out anyone to save their own skins, and that was what this was going to boil down to. Mina was a fool to trust her heart to him...  
  
Filia sighed. "I won't lie to you... I'm not sure what would happen to a mazoku... this is a White Magic spell, and I don't think anything like it has ever been attempted, but I would be lying to you if I said this would be harmless... it could kill you."  
  
Gaav frowned, then grinned fiercely. "Heh. Well, I've been in danger before. Besides... I've become rather well acquainted with death recently... the threat has lost some of its sting, if you know what I mean."  
  
Lina gaped quietly, then snapped her mouth closed with a snap. He... he hadn't even hesitated. Mina nodded quietly, then took Gaav's hand.  
  
"I won't let anything interrupt you Filia. I will protect him." She said fiercely, staring up at him. Lina blinked again.  
  
Xellos made gagging noises in the background, but they all ignored him.  
  
Filia nodded, serenity marking her features despite what was at stake. This was her field. She WOULD NOT let her son be destroyed.  
  
"Alright then... I guess we are ready to start. Let's start right now... we don't have much time."  
  
The group gathered around the makeshift "bed" the group had prepared for Valgaav. He shuddered weakly, sweat marking his brow. "T-T-T-Tessss." He hissed, his teeth chattering. Filia and Gaav shared uncomprehending looks.  
  
Filia cleared her mind of all doubts and worries (which was hard) and laid her hands on the stricken half-dragon's shoulder. A hand on her own shoulder caught her attention and she opened her eyes in confusion.  
  
A gloved hand. Her gaze followed up the purple clad arm to a face that had never been more serious in all the time she'd known it. She blinked in sudden confusion.  
  
Xellos opened his eyes and gave her an incomprehensible look. "Remember Filia," He said quietly, with no mocking undertone to his voice at all. "A mazoku's greatest power lies in deceit. It will try to trick you into handing it the keys to what you are trying to save." he grinned evily, his face becoming a mask again.  
  
"At least... that, is what I would do." he released her arm and disappeared with a muted pop.  
  
Lina sighed. "He just gets wierder and wierder as time goes by."  
  
Zelgadis looked out into the distance. "You have no idea."  
  
***  
  
She clutched her papers tighter to her chest as she walked past the heavy iron gate that marked her new place of employment. The imposing, gothic structure stood at the top of a hill amid a scattering of willow trees, the overall impression being one of a place forgotten by humanity.  
  
Quite appropriate, for a place that society put people it would prefer to forget about.  
  
Quite appropriate, for an Asylum.  
  
She brushed the few stray blonde hairs that had escaped her no-nonsense bun away from her brow and walked up to the door. The security gaurd eyed her dubiously, as though he doubted a young woman (even in the white labcoat she'd chosen to make her position here quite clear) had the credentials to be entering this place of madness. The radio in his ear caught his attention as she neared, however, and he grudgingly nodded to her and opened the door.  
  
She walked into the highly clinical hall, the smell of disinfectant and a deeper, more cloying scent assaulted her senses. It was impossible not to realize this was a place of sickness, though admittedly not of the body.  
  
It was a place for sickness of the mind and soul.  
  
Her heels clicked on the polished tile floor, and she looked up, momentarily distracted by an odd portrait, a seemingly random series of brush strokes that nonetheless evoked a deep, gutteral reaction in her... disorientation soaked her mind... that image... she knew...  
  
A quiet, urbane, cultured voice startled her out of her reverie with a start, and she looked up to see the most handsome man she'd ever encountered. His long black hair was drawn back into a stylish pony-tail, and he looked quite distingished in his white labcoat and black trousers. She blushed despite herself.  
  
"Ah... Dr. Copt, I presume? You must be, though Dr. Sailoon's description hardly does you justice." The man grinned charmingly, not a hint of slyness in his voice to set her ill at ease. She blushed harder.  
  
"Ah... I'm sorry Dr...?"  
  
"Talon..." he grinned easily, the flourescent light glinting off of his perscription (but stylish) sunglasses. "But please, call me Seth. I run an informal house here. You won't find me quite the tyrant that I am rumoured to be, I assure you." He chuckled easily, holding out a white gloved hand.  
  
She took it, chuckling along with him. "I-I'm sorry Dr. Talon. I was expecting someone a bit..."  
  
"Older?" He grinned conspiratorily. "I get that alot. The orderlies all think I sprang up fully grown and that I'm just passing the time here 'till I can be crotchety old man..." he winked. "I find it's easier to maintain discipline if I don't disillusion them."  
  
She laughed easily. "I'll try to maintain the fantasy, Doctor."  
  
He nodded and smiled. "Please... just Seth. I have a feeling it will be quite... pleasant working with you Dr. Copt."  
  
She smiled. "Filia, please."  
  
"Of course." He grinned knowingly.  
  
*** 


	25. And Then Things Got A Little Wierder

"The boy's just simply crazy/ suffering from delusions/ we honestly   
think that maybe/ he might need an institution/ he lives in a world of   
fiction/ he really could use some help/ we have just the place to fix   
him.... To Save Him From Himself! Curled up in the darkness, searching for   
the light. Smell of stale sweat and shit steaming through the night.   
Random urine testing, pills red, pink, and blue. Counciling and   
therapy.... finding not a clue.   
Still they cage me between these hollow walls.... hoping to find in me   
the answers to The Test That Stumped Them All."   
-The Test That Stumped Them All, Dream Theatre'  
  
  
  
Talon was having another restless night.  
  
With anyone else, this might have been construed as a sign of nervous   
tension or stress. While it is true that Talon had many things on his   
mind, (his plans for the future were as well constructed and   
impenetrable as a spider's web, but as any spider will tell you, a spider's web   
is only impervious to the antics of insects.... a single careless giant   
can destroy countless hours of work in an instant) he was not one to   
worry over things he cannot change. Talon subscribed to the belief that   
if one lets one's opponents get under one's skin, one is apt to lean   
towards poor decision-making. Remaining calm in the face of adversity is   
the hallmark of a true master of chess, and of   
life. Hence, it was not stress that caused him to be restless.  
  
No, Talon remained awake into the quiet hours of the night for a very   
simple reason. Most of the Shards consisted of a mix of human and   
Mazoku that was more human than Mazoku. Their subsequent mortal body was   
therefore more fragile, and needful of certain human necessities that   
even the weakest Mazoku could do without. In Talon's case however, the   
small sliver of a human soul he possessed was so far outweighed by the   
darkness of his astral body that pieces of it constantly intruded into   
his everyday life (sort of like a Mazoku version of Halitosis.... SOUL   
Halitosis. Fear it! MWAHAHAHAHA! Ahem. Sorry. -DT). Astral energy,   
especially what essentially amounts to anti-life (or perhaps   
anti-light) is not something meant to exist on the mortal plane. Nevertheless,   
Talon had turned what would have been considered a danger not only to   
his life but to existence itself into a danger only for the existence of   
his enemies.  
  
Who could essentially be defined as anyone he didn't particularly care   
for much.  
  
Which was basically everyone.  
  
He wasn't choosy.  
  
Talon was much like a mazoku in the fact that he did not need to eat   
or sleep. Eating had always been something he considered to be more   
trouble then it was worth (particularly when one considered the inevitable   
byproducts) and he indulged in it only sparingly, preferring to rely on   
his Astral Body to sustain him. Sleep, on the other hand, was   
something whose absence he sometimes regretted. Many hours he had lain awake   
in the small bed he had shared with Neela, watching her breath ease in   
and out evenly, occasionally twitching a limb or an ear, smiling....   
that alone had been enough to entertain him all night, but there were   
times....   
  
especially after....   
  
Times.... when despite himself he wanted above all else the oblivion   
that sleep could represent.   
  
In front of his enemies and his followers, Talon made sure to appear   
calm and completely above reproach, assured of the outcome of any   
confrontation. He realized, however, that there were some beings out there,   
despite his claims to Godhood, who could destroy him utterly, if they   
so chose. That was the reason for this whole idiotic fantasy....   
Nothing more. He snorted. Lead a twisted, miserable barbarian horde back to   
their "promised land"? How absurd. He needed to cover-up his true   
intentions, to, while he was too weak to defend himself against these   
beings, present simply another mortal bent on conquest rather then a rival   
for immortal power, hence the deception. Still, though not a man to   
harbor doubts or regrets, and though he had such a small, wormridden   
soul, he did, nonetheless, possess one....  
  
Perhaps, he pondered, this weakness, this emotional, useless (and   
certainly it must be useless, for what had acting on the yearnings of his   
heart ever purchased for him but pain?) part of him was what drove him   
to crave oblivion when he knew he could not receive it short of   
death....  
  
Or victory....  
  
He clasped his hands together and closed his eyes for a moment, then   
opened them again, the two empty pits narrowed into slits that might   
have been pain or hate-filled....  
  
It was hard to tell, without windows into his soul.  
  
***  
  
Arashi awoke suddenly to the summons of his God. It was impossible to   
mistake it.... a throbbing pain in the claw mark tattoo that adorned   
his cheek. He flapped his wings for a moment to steady himself on the   
crenelation he had been perched upon in sleep (Arashi preferred to sleep   
in the manner of birds, as his legs and wings made sleeping in a bed an   
uncomfortable proposition. In sleep he basically resembled a rather   
Bishonen sort of gargoyle) then dropped off the side of the building and   
slipped easily into his master's window, kneeling as was proper. Talon   
stared into a dark corner of the room and frowned quietly, seemingly   
unmindful of his servant's presence. Finally, after a long moment of   
silence, he spoke.  
  
"I want you to take the Striking Talons and travel fifty three miles   
northwest of here. There you will find a small group of travelers,   
probably clustered in some forest clearing, jumble of rocks, or some other   
defensible position. These travelers will include the Soul of Fury,   
the Queen of Sailoon, that half-dragon mongrel I taught a lesson to, and   
possibly.... Xellos. Kill them all, if you can, but in particular, the   
Halfbreed and the Queen must die. Go now."  
  
Arashi blinked for a moment, then stood and bowed. He was accustomed   
to receiving odd orders from his Lord at equally odd hours of the night   
but never this precise.... or requiring this much mobilization of   
forces.  
  
Or this utterly hopeless.  
  
Talon smiled inwardly. He was fully aware of the impossiblity of even   
the mighty Striking Talons destroying such a legendary company of   
heroes in full. Still, despite their incompetance during the battle for   
Sentinel, they should be capable of destroying one mortally injured   
halfbreed and a simpering little white mage, and should the entire division   
of Striking Talons meet destruction, then so be it.  
  
You can't make an omelet without breaking a few eggs....  
  
Nor take a worthy opponent's higher ranking pieces without sacrificing   
a few pawns....  
  
Seeing his Lord silent for a long period, Arashi was about to turn   
away when Talon grinned mockingly at him. "I don't doubt you are   
wondering why now, especially with my "promise" to the dearly departed Captain,   
but rest assured that this is not an assault upon Sailoon by me,   
personally. I agreed not to advance on Sailoon for a week. I said nothing   
about portions of my army."  
  
Arashi nodded shortly. He could see the logic of that. Particularly   
when it was coming from someone who could obliterate him in an instant.  
  
Talon's grin thinned somewhat. "I suggest you be on your way, Arashi.   
Consider this your redemption for failing me during the battle for   
Sentinel. If you fail me in this...." he sighed regrettably, still   
smiling. "I hope for your sake that you are dead."  
  
Arashi soared out into the night, and if he trembled slightly, it   
might have been due to the cold.  
  
Might have been.  
  
To all outward appearances, Talon appeared to be coldly satisfied with   
his current situation. The grin remained on his face even as his eyes   
cast over the eight Bloodgaurd who remained after Xellos'......   
puzzling attack.  
  
His eyes however, remained as narrowed and impenetrably empty as ever.  
  
When one considers the evidence, perhaps even in Talon's case, the   
eyes ARE the window into the soul....  
  
***  
  
Dr. Filia Ul Copt followed Dr. Talon as he made his way down the   
sterile halls of the Asylum. As he walked he paged through her paperwork   
with the air of one dealing with a necessary but irritating and tedious   
detail.  
  
"I don't want you to think I find you unqualified for this position,   
Filia. You came very highly recommended by Dr. Blueriver, and judging   
from your list of credentials you are exactly what this facility has   
needed for a long time."  
  
He sighed, stopping in front of a large metal door with a small safety   
glass window set into it at eye level. He turned to her easily and   
pushed his sunglasses into a higher position on his nose with a finger   
(apparently a nervous habit).  
  
"Still, this IS your first assignment to an institution for....   
violent individuals, and I want to lay down a few ground rules before you get   
to work."  
  
Filia gave him a momentarily confused look. He smiled.  
  
"Looks like I broke my old record for being obtuse.... Go ahead,   
Doctor. What's on your mind?"  
  
She frowned. "I was led to believe I was hired for my experience with   
catatonia patients. I hardly see...."  
  
He frowned. "Yes.... dealing with catatonia will be your primary   
duty, but we are.... dangerously understaffed, Ms. Copt. This facility   
harbors fifty-seven of what the public considers 'criminally insane' and   
'dangerous' individuals. With Dr. Blueriver's unfortunate.... accident,   
you and I are the only fully trained professionals currently working in   
this facility." He smiled at her momentary look of alarm. "Not to   
worry, Doctor. There are more then enough assistant personnel to deal with   
the day to day necessities of this place, in addition to any...   
incidents. I didn't mean to alarm you. It's just that, in addition to your   
normal caseload, you will be expected to help with some of the more....   
interesting cases we have here. Even catatonic patients can   
occasionally become violent. One can never predict what the human mind is   
capable of. I give the same speech to all of my personnel. This is nothing   
personal."  
  
She frowned, but nodded quietly. "I understand Doctor.... sorry for   
the interruption."  
  
He grinned. "Not a problem. Now, rule number one. Under no   
circumstances are you allowed to touch any of the patients. This may seem   
harsh, but it is entirely for your safety. Second, all communications will   
be recorded, again, for your safety. This might seem a breach of   
doctor/patient confidentiality, but these ARE the criminally insane.   
Certain steps must be taken to provide as safe a working environment as   
possible.   
  
"Finally, and this rule applies in particular to your specialty, in   
the eventuality of a major change in patient behavior, I am to be   
notified at once." He handed her a slip of paper. "This is my pager number.   
It is extremely important for legal reasons that I be present during   
such an incident. I'm sure you understand."  
  
She stared at the paper for a moment, and he took her hesitation for   
agreement and continued.   
  
"I find it's much easier to understand why these precautions are   
necessary with a.... practical demonstration. As you know, Dr. Blueriver,   
Kane, received extensive facial injuries while working here, hence the   
'no touching' and surveillance rules. What wasn't discussed in your   
preliminary briefing is exactly how these injuries took place."  
  
Dr. Talon frowned, pushing his glasses up again. He was starting to   
remind her of someone.... probably a former professor, but she wasn't   
sure who. "The individual responsible is being held in this room. You   
might have heard of him before, and because of him we get reporters from   
time to time. For security reasons, none of them are to be allowed to   
interview him. He has a tendancy to be.... upsetting." Dr. Talon   
shrugged.  
  
"Xellos Metallium." She breathed.  
  
He smiled. "I see you are familiar with the patient in question.   
Good." He flipped a few pages forward on the clipboard he had been   
studying. "Xellos Metallium, AKA The Trickster. Age unknown, ethnicity...."   
he frowned, "unknown. Convicted of 45 counts of 1st degree murder, 10   
counts of aggravated assault, and 2 counts of mayhem-"  
  
Filia blinked. "Mayhem? What is....?"  
  
He frowned. "Forgive me, doctor. Mayhem is.... well, it is the   
murder of an individual in which the cause of death involves the violent   
removal of several limbs while the victim is still alive."  
  
  
She shuddered. "Why are you telling me about this?"  
  
He raised an eyebrow. "Because of your patient."  
  
Her eyes widened in surprise. "Xellos is catatonic? But I'd   
heard..."  
  
Talon lowered the clipboard and sighed. "No, I'm afraid not. If he   
were, it might make our job a bit easier. Xellos is very much.... well   
I suppose the term lucid doesn't exactly describe his state of being   
but aware is certainly appropriate."  
  
Filia frowned. "Why would Xellos be considered to fall under MY   
specialty?"  
  
Talon stared at her for a moment, and though his eyes were hidden by   
those strange sunglasses Filia could almost swear he was glaring at her.   
Finally, he turned toward the large metal door.  
  
"Xellos does not fall under your specialty, Doctor. In fact, I don't   
want you to have more contact with him then absolutely necessary. He   
is a cunning, ruthless individual who has earned the nickname Trickster.   
He will seem jovial, completely calm and rational, yet if you were to   
release his bonds he would kill you without losing his pleasant   
demeanor. Dr. Blueriver made that mistake once. Only once. That was all it   
took." Dr. Talon's face hardened and he pushed the glasses up again.  
  
"How familiar are you with the particulars of Xellos' capture?"  
  
Filia shrugged. "Only what I've heard on the news. They caught him   
red-handed with another victim, who survived.... that's about all I   
know."  
  
Dr. Talon turned to her quietly. "That much is true. However, there   
are certain aspects of the case that were not publicized, for obvious   
reasons. Xellos was captured with a person we believe MAY have been one   
of his victims- this much is true. However...."  
  
He started opening several locks on the door, his back to her.  
  
"I don't normally expose new personnel to this level of....   
unpleasantness on their first day, but THIS is the reason you were brought here.   
Xellos was captured in the company of one of his victims, and in the   
subsequent struggle with the authorities, earned his Mayhem charges, as   
well as several of his charges of Assault. Xellos is a brutally evil   
man, Dr. Copt. He deserves to be put to death, but legally at this point   
in time we can't do a thing to the man but lock him away. We cannot   
PROVE that he understands what he did was wrong. Every psycological   
profile we build on this man is shattered, usually in the next therapy   
session. As soon as we think we've categorized him, he changes completely.   
He's PLAYING with us. There is only one key to his psyche, one hope   
for understanding what makes a man capable of such.... insanity. You   
see, his final victim is a John Doe. He's the catatonic, and most of the   
usual methods we use with such patients are useless.... We have no   
name, no records of his birth, no next of kin, friends.... nothing. The   
man does NOT exist. Furthermore, he is the only person who remained in   
Xellos' company for more than 24 hours without coming to bodily harm."  
  
He held the door handle in the closed position, though all the locks   
had been removed.   
  
Dr. Talon frowned. "The John Doe case is most unusual, Doctor. John   
cannot be moved from Xellos' presence. If he is, BOTH of them   
react.... unfavorably."  
  
Filia looked at him sideways. He appeared completely calm and in   
control, but his knuckles were completely bloodless where they clenched the   
door handle. She frowned. "Unfavorably?"  
  
Dr. Talon cleared his throat. "Yes, John Doe reacts in a manner much   
akin to an epilectic seizure. Only constant and heavy sedation can   
prevent it, which is of course, unhealthy at best and potentially fatal at   
worst. Xellos...." He sighed. "Let's just say the last time it was   
attempted a good man lost his face."  
  
"Dr. Blueriver...." Filia breathed.  
  
Talon nodded. "That is what you were hired for. If we can somehow   
shake this young man out of his uncommunicative state, we might get an   
insight into the both of them. Heal the one, and provide enough evidence   
to condemn the other." Dr. Talon smiled coldly.   
  
Filia watched Talon for a moment more, then turned back to the room   
quietly. Something in his voice made her uneasy. Well, even MORE   
uneasy.  
  
If that were at ALL possible.  
  
He pushed the door and it swung open easily on well-oiled hinges. A   
part of Filia was disappointed.... normally when one opened a dungeon   
door it made more noise. Dungeon? Before she had an opportunity to   
analyze this strange thought she caught sight of the contents of the room.   
Her breath caught in her throat and she took an involuntary step back.   
Talon glanced at her speculatively.  
  
The room was, as the rest of building, sterile and clinical, though   
the scent of disinfectant was slightly stronger here. The walls were   
heavily padded, and the floor was completely bare save for a single bed,   
the posts of which were also padded. Lying in the bed was the thin form   
of a young man in his late adolescence, his long green hair fanned out   
on the government issue pillow on which his head rested. He stared   
blankly at the ceiling, his eyes completely devoid of luster. Scars   
adorned his bare chest, though they were rather obviously old, well-healed   
scars. Filia's reaction to the scene had been for two reasons. One was   
that the young man on the bed was so achingly familiar that Filia could   
have sworn she'd seen him before, perhaps even known him personally.   
The other....  
  
The other was the second occupant of the room.  
  
Seated at the base of the bed, his legs cuffed together at the ankles,   
rested a small man in a straight-jacket. His brilliant purple hair   
washed over his face, but as the two Doctors entered the room, he looked   
up. He grinned widely and observed them through his bangs. What   
startled Filia were his eyes.  
  
They were the most inhuman eyes she'd ever seen. For a split second   
before his jovial mask had appeared, he'd let them catch a glimpse of a   
soul as cold and calculating as that of the most deadly predator.   
  
Then he winked at her.  
  
"Why Doctor.... so GOOD of you to visit. Care for a bit of tea? A   
cookie or two?"  
  
His grin got wider. "DO introduce me to your friend...."  
  
***  
  
Zelgadis scanned his surroundings diligently, calmly wiping down his   
blade. Once again, it seemed, he'd been caught up in something having   
absolutely nothing to do with him, or his quest. It took a moment for   
him to figure out exactly what HIS connection to all of this was, then it   
came to him. Mina. Gaav. Right. It was probably only a matter of   
time before he had to dress in drag.   
  
He sighed miserably.  
  
"What's wrong, Master?" Pix asked, fluttering near his head. He   
glanced in her direction.  
  
"I'm not very fond of the waiting game, I suppose. Not to mention,   
this has nothing to do with getting my cure at all."  
  
Pix frowned at him for a moment, then landed lightly on his shoulder.   
She patted his cheek. "I'm sure Mister Gaav hasn't forgotten his   
promise.... and it DID get you an opportunity to see all of your friends   
again...."  
  
He shrugged lightly. "I suppose so.... I just wish it could have been   
under better circumstances."   
  
He sighed again, then looked at the Princess, pardon, Queen, who he'd   
missed terribly for the last decade and a half. It surprised him   
somewhat, to realize that he HAD missed her terribly. Zelgadis was, by   
nature, a solitary creature. He had no love of company, particularly when   
it had a habit of staring at him like he was going to try to eat small   
children. Of course, she'd never thought THAT badly of him, even   
though she HAD occasionally drove him crazy with her well-meaning,   
good-hearted, but terribly naive and fanatical views about "justice". She   
hadn't changed much.... aged well, he supposed. Still had the old white   
mage of justice getup, the same, righteous expression. Perhaps a little   
wiser, though the way she was acting at the moment wasn't a particularly   
good indicator of THAT, he supposed.   
  
She wasn't speaking to him at the moment, and he got the impression it   
was something he had done, though what, exactly, that was, he had no   
idea. He'd been honestly happy to see her again, but a life or death   
situation (and anyone who thinks Lina meeting Gaav without a bit of   
warning beforehand wouldn't have been a life or death situation is   
underestimating the explosive tendancy of two very strong-willed people who don't   
like each other much and have a tendancy to cause large amounts of   
property damage when they.... I think you get the picture) was not the best   
place to renew aquaintances. He'd THOUGHT she'd understood that, but   
now there was this kicked puppy vibe coming from her that even HE was   
aware of. She sneaked a glance in his direction, frowned slightly, then   
turned pointedly away. His perplexed frown deepened.  
  
Pix watched the silent exchange with growing trepidation. It was   
obvious this unpleasant situation was going to continue, and neither of   
them (one was simply oblivious to it, the other was too hurt to let it go,   
and too proud to say anything) was going to make a move to repair it.   
The situation cut a little too close for comfort to her own feelings.   
Pix realized her situation was entirely hopeless. She was six (and a   
half) inches tall. It was hard enough getting the man she loved not to   
accidentally step on her, (Pix is, in her discomfort, exaggerating   
slightly. Zelgadis has never gone so far as to almost step on her, though   
he has occasionally set things down on top of her.... but give the man   
a break.... she's smaller then a Barbie doll! Probably GI Joe size   
would be more accurate. Don't tell me you've never stepped on a GI Joe   
figure. You break that little rubber band in the center and poor ol'   
Shipwreck has to spend the rest of his life as a paraplegic. It's not so   
damn hard to do.... Wait, why am I defending this guy? Somehow I   
think I got horribly off track. How long has it been since I typed outside   
of parenth.... parentath.... Oh bugger it anyway.... -DT) let alone   
realize she had feelings for him.   
  
Still, she was not the sort of individual to simply allow this to turn   
her into an emotional wreck. She remained bright and optimistic   
despite her impossible situation. She'd always been aware of the problems   
inherent to being a magical construct, ever since her creator had tossed   
her away in disgust. It would have been very easy to let go during her   
time trapped in a lightless, magic-less, cold, and miserable hell of a   
cave. She'd come very close to death, but the true enemy hadn't been   
the lack of sustaining magic.  
  
It had been hopelessness.  
  
Her struggle to survive in the gilded cage had been more a fight   
against her own apathy, one she'd refused to lose. She felt deeply indebted   
to the cool-headed, pragmatic "Mystical Swordsman" who'd released her   
without a thought of receiving anything in return. She'd served him in   
part to repay that debt, and in part, at first, for a simple place to   
belong. Yes, that had been it. A simple need. A home. Where ever her   
master went would be home, and what he needed would be her purpose.   
Even though their strange arrangement produced a few hiccups from time to   
time, she'd been.... comfortable in it. Then as time went by, she   
realized her feelings for this quiet, reserved, but oddly fragile man (yes,   
fragile. A lot of Zel's aloofness is his defense against allowing   
someone to get too close to him. He has to maintain that distance, because   
no one can love a freak, right? ) ran considerably   
deeper then simple gratitude. Therein lay the crux of her current   
dilemma....  
  
She was an artificial creature, one never intended to exist by nature,   
and completely unique. Her romantic prospects were dismal. Really   
dismal. Imagine if you will, a metal ball. Now imagine a butterfly   
fluttering up to it and brushing its wings against it once every 100 years,   
then fluttering off to wherever metaphor-assisting butterflies go. Now   
imagine that you have to watch this until the ball is completely worn   
away.  
  
Now imagine that during all of this you are 50 pounds overweight, and   
your sole human companion is Richard Simmons.  
  
That dismal.  
  
Her rival was a woman who'd shared many of his adventures, and he was   
obviously very fond of, if not actually in love with, her (it was hard   
to tell with Zel.... hey, that rhymed!).  
  
Furthermore, while Zel was the perfect size for "Queenie" over there,   
he was a bit, pardon the hentai expression, too much man for Pix.  
  
It was enough to make one green with jealousy, not to mention wish   
that she were large enough to ignore him and have it actually be noticed.  
  
She was HAPPY being Zelgadis' "perky side-kick", damn it. She didn't   
want to lose what little happiness she had garnered for herself in this   
insane, entirely oversized world she was never intended for.   
  
This woman was a threat to that happiness....  
  
But Amelia was unhappy, and her unhappiness was making Master Zelgadis   
unhappy....  
  
Pix sighed. Bugger.  
  
"You should talk to Miss Amelia, Master." Pix muttered quietly,   
hovering in his face to get his full attention. "You hurt her feelings very   
badly."  
  
He looked up and blinked at this sudden intrusion into his private   
thoughts. "I did? When did I-?"  
  
She smiled sadly. "Knowing you like I do, it was probably in the way   
you greeted her." She roughed up her hair into a passable impression   
of his own and assumed an implacable, wise, and set visage which still   
managed to somehow miss the point entirely. In her best Zelgadis voice   
(which was a remarkably good Zelgadis impression IF he'd been kicked in   
the nuts (stones?) a few times, or at least had a run in with a mad   
helium balloon vender) "Hi, how's it going, nice to see you again,   
Princess...." She grinned and dropped the entirely too accurate impression.   
"Is that about right?"  
  
He frowned, a bit miffed. "Well.... it wasn't THAT bad..."  
  
She gave him a pointed look, then fluttered off of his shoulder.  
  
"It WASN'T!"  
  
She glanced over at Amelia, and raised an eyebrow, then shrugged and   
fluttered out of sight.  
  
He sighed, ran a suddenly self-conscious hand through his hair, then   
glanced at Amelia. Aside from her anger toward him (which he'd already   
noticed, to his credit. Not too much credit though. A blind man would   
have caught it.) She had a decidedly downcast look to her, when he   
actually took the effort to notice such things.  
  
Oh boy.  
  
As though moving through mud, Zelgadis made his way towards Amelia,   
who still refused to look at him. Lina took a moment from brooding over   
the situation with her daughter to watch this with a wryly amused   
expression on her face.  
  
So did Xellos.  
  
"This ought to be interesting." They both remarked at the same time,   
then glared at each other. Well, Lina glared. Xellos just sort of   
smirked.  
  
"Huh?" Replied Gourry.  
  
This was something of a pointless repetition of his mission statement.  
  
***  
  
"Do sit down, good Doctors. I admit I'm rather pressed for good   
furniture at the moment, but I'm sure you'll manage." Xellos smiled evily.  
  
Talon ignored him in favor of checking a chart at the foot of   
Valgaav's bed. He made a point not to get too close to Xellos, who regarded   
him for a moment with a bemusedly bored expression, then turned to Filia   
and smiled warmly.  
  
Filia gave him a dubious expression. His grin widened.  
  
"Come now, Doctor. No need for the worried expression. You can come   
closer, I don't bite."  
  
Dr. Talon never looked up from his chart. "Yes you do."  
  
Xellos blinked. "Why, so I do. It must have slipped my mind.   
Speaking of biting, how is Dr. Blueriver? I hope he didn't lose too much   
face at this institution." He giggled at his pun.  
  
Talon regarded him like a cockroach. "Dr. Blueriver is in stable   
condition now, though he will require extensive plastic surgery to repair   
your.... decorating attempt."  
  
Xellos shrugged idly and turned to Filia once again. "Not much of a   
talker are you? Strange considering your supposed profession. Still, I   
don't suppose he's much of a talent scout is he?"  
  
Filia reddened. "I'll have you know that I'm considered to be one of   
the most brilliant minds in my field. I-" she stopped, infuriated.   
Five minutes on the job and she was already making mistakes, and in front   
of her employer no less.   
  
Xellos opened his eyes and stared at her, his penetrating gaze raising   
shivers on her skin. He became completely still, absorbed in studying   
her, a statue, the only thing moving was his mouth.  
  
"I'm sure you are. Rather, I'm sure that's what the experts told you.   
Textbook perfect care for the human psyche, like a repair manual for   
the soul," he smirked. "Nevermind the fact that human beings don't   
always fit the mold, no matter how hard society tries to force them into it.   
Perfect little gingerbread cookies, and when one of them gets an arm or   
a leg bitten off by life, why.... we make nice little terms for them,   
so we can feel good about how well we care for our fellow man, except   
those terms make them somehow marked.... somehow, less human then the   
rest of us don't they? How often do we talk to them, Doctor? God forbid   
we come out missing an ingredient inside.... well then we get sent to   
the rubbish bin, don't we? That's what this place is, Doctor. A   
rubbish bin for people." He jerked his head at Doctor Talon, who was   
regarding him with cold, open hatred on his face. "HE'D have you believe   
you're here to heal people.... to save them. We both know that nothing   
could be further from the truth, but-"  
  
Dr. Talon brought the clipboard in his hands down hard on the padded   
frame of the small hospital bed, making a sudden, muffled thwacking   
sound that startled both him and Filia, then he smiled coldly. "That's   
enough out of you, Xellos. One more word and it'll be medication time."  
  
Xellos grinned. "Word."  
  
Talon snapped his fingers and grinned. Filia was startled when two   
large, white-uniformed individuals entered the room, followed by a small   
man pushing a cart. The two burly orderlies secured Xellos with   
perhaps a bit too much force, knocking his head brutally against the floor as   
he was forced to lie prone and spread-eagled on the ground, and one   
pulled up one of his pants legs. Xellos' eyes remained on Filia the whole   
time. Dr. Talon personally prepared the shot, and stared coldly down   
at the prostrate man before him.  
  
"You know the drill, Xellos, there will be a little prick-"  
  
"What, you mean another one besides the one standing in front of me?"   
Xellos gibed.  
  
Talon gritted his teeth. "Just relax, monster."  
  
Filia watched as he administered the shot with a distant sense of   
growing horror. This was nothing like the controlled classroom situations   
she was used to.... nothing could have prepared her for this cold,   
brutal reality. How could they expect Xellos to get well if they drugged   
him out of his mind without trying to help him? Hadn't they said all   
along that they were trying to understand him not to heal him, but to   
simply destroy him? How was that medicine?  
  
As the shot began to take effect, the awareness slowly faded from   
Xellos' eyes, and his mouth eased from its terrible smirk. Just as he   
began to go under, his lips jerked in an attempt at a smile, and he   
slurred. "Simply the blind leading the.... blind..."  
  
Then he said no more, lost in drug induced oblivion. Talon grinned   
coldly and turned to her, his words clipped with anger.  
  
"I'll leave you to your work, Dr. Copt. He shouldn't give you any   
more problems. Now if you'll excuse me, I have some work to do."  
  
He turned sharply on his heel and left, followed by the brutish   
attendants and the smallish individual with his cart. His angry footsteps   
rang down the hallway, retreating into the labyrinthine series of   
corridors that made up the facility.  
  
Filia stared at the man before her quietly, unwilling, or unable to   
move. He lie without any dignity, prone and drooling mindlessly, his   
eyes half-slitted, open but unseeing. This terrible monster, tamed and   
made safe by modern medicine.  
  
Why then, did she feel an inkling of sympathy for him?  
  
On the bed, unnoticed, the adolescent boy stirred restlessly and   
mouthed a word, lost by the quiet whirr of the air conditioning.  
  
***  
  
Mina watched her love with quiet vigilance, her hand resting   
reassuringly on the pommel of the blade he'd given her. No hint of the worry   
she felt could be seen on her face as she contemplated his unmoving form.   
He stood, his giant hand resting over Filia's, in a semblance of   
caring, fatherly concern that made her heart ache, though his eyes were   
closed in concentration. She sighed. While she was concerned for Valgaav,   
and sympathetic towards Aunt Filia, she was ashamed to admit that a   
part of her had shrieked in protest when Gaav had accepted the   
responsiblity for healing his shattered former minion. She had no real fondness   
for the arrogant (to her) half-dragon, who'd always seemed like more of   
a pain in the ass nuisance then a friend. The two of them hadn't   
gotten along well, and incidents like the one with the couch and the   
fireball had been all too common when they'd been together. Still, he was a   
friend of sorts, and she should have been eager to see him well, but   
when that effort involved the life of the man she loved....  
  
She grinned sadly. "Guess I'm not quite the hero I thought I was."  
  
A hand fell on her shoulder and she started, blinking at the visage of   
her grinning father. He smiled. "I'm not sure what's happening here,   
Mina, but I wouldn't worry too hard about that Gabe guy. The last time   
we ran into him, your mother and I had to run away."  
  
Mina blinked, startled. "You.... ran away? Mom never told me...."  
  
Gourry sighed. "Your mother likes to think she's invincible.... I   
don't think she told you becuase it reminded her of how.... uh....   
vincible she really is."  
  
She giggled. "That's vulnerable, Dad."  
  
He beamed. "You are SO smart." He turned to regard Lina, wincing   
slightly in his old armor. Mina was suddenly shocked....  
  
-He's getting old....- she marveled, and the revelation frightened   
her.  
  
"She really is proud of you, you know," he whispered, gazing fondly at   
his wife, who glared around as though she'd been pleasantly napping and   
was rudely awakened by a pail of water.  
  
Mina looked at her mother, then nodded. "I know. It's just   
sometimes...." she sighed. "Dad, why are you and mom doing this?"  
  
Gourry looked back at her in surprise. "Doing what?"  
  
Mina looked at him in shock. "You don't know? This whole thing! The   
Shards! Gaav! Valgaav!"  
  
"Oh, THAT!" He pounded his hand in his other fist, then fingered his   
chin in thought. "Well, I guess because if we don't, who will? I'm not   
too good about figuring out this sort of thing, but I do know that you   
and Grob are in alot of trouble, and you could use all the help you can   
get!" He beamed. This was a masterstroke of Gourry's unique sort of   
wit. "That reminds me. I never got to talk to you about something   
before you left, and with you and Gabby getting so close and all, I think   
it's about time I did my fatherly duty."  
  
She blinked...." Uh, what's that?"  
  
He took on a very studious expression. "It's about time we had a talk   
about the birds and the bees, young lady."  
  
Mina's eyes became tiny dots and she sweat-dropped. "Um... Dad....   
don't er... I mean, I...."  
  
He spread his arms wide. "Well you see, there's this thing.... and-"  
  
***  
  
Zelgadis surveyed the group quietly as he stalled for time. He wasn't   
entirely sure what he was going to say when he got to Amelia, and so   
his trip to her side was taking an amount of time comparable to the   
half-life of carbon. Lina glared at him in what was obviously a silent   
attempt to get him to hurry the hell up already. Mina stood openmouthed   
and growing paler by the minute as Gourry made what appeared to Zelgadis as   
somewhat lewd motions with his hands and talked about a mile a minute.   
Pix was giggling herself silly over his explanation of something, so   
much so that she looked about ready to fall out of the sky. Xellos....  
  
Xellos was....  
  
Nowhere to be seen? He stopped dead and looked about wildly, his hand   
on the hilt of his sword. He listened intently, his supernatural   
hearing picked up something....   
  
Something like....   
  
The fluttering of wings? He looked skyward, where a large cloud of   
birds was slowly growing on the horizon.  
  
Except these birds had spears....  
  
He drew his sword, the ringing scrape of steel drawing everyone's   
attention. He kept his attention calmly on the advancing force, and never   
mind the impossibility of an army of gargoyles armed to the teeth   
finding them out here.  
  
"Someone wake up the Sleeping Beauties," he said calmly, gesturing   
towards the comatose Knight of Zomelgustar and his large busted attendant,   
who slumbered peacefully with Langdelin's head in her lap (this was   
about to become a problem, because a line of drool had almost made the   
necessary travel arrangements to start its grand journey into the   
Knight's slightly open mouth) snoring gently. "We're about to have company,   
and from the look of it we're going to need all the help we can get."  
  
The Striking Talons circled slowly overhead, preparing for their   
attack.  
  
***  
  
Author's Note: Due to popular request, I've decided to once again post on FF.net, though for the life of me I can't figure out why. The Shards of Chaos site is the true home of this fic, which you can find if you look at the reviews for this story. More or less, I think this is for the denser individuals who either can't find AA's site, or are too lazy to check it out... If this is you, you're missin' out man. Or woman. Or whatever. Anyway, first drafts will be posted here, finished product will remain at AA's site.  
  
DustTraveller 


	26. Six Degrees Of Inner Yuckiness

"Where would you rather be... The doubt and the fear I know would all disappear, anywhere but here... anywhere but here. On the edge of sleep I heard voices beyond the door, the known and the nameless, familiar and faceless... My angels and my demons at war... At war! Which side will lose depends on what I choose. Or maybe, which voice I ignore... Wilderness of mirrors, streak s of cold desire. My precious sense of honor, just a shield of rusty wire. I hold against the chaos, and the cross of holy fire..." -Rush, Double Agent   
  
There is a terrible crime committed on a regular basis. This crime is a small one, perhaps, in scale, but one cannot measure the evil of a deed by the intent behind it. Rather, one must look to the emotional and spiritual (ok, and sometimes physical) effect that it has upon its victim, or victims as the case may be.   
  
Indeed, perhaps the greatest evils are not those which are perpetrated against any single individual, no matter how vile the intent; rather it is those which reach into and gleefully nipple-tweak the lives of many people.   
  
Like disco, for example.   
  
This however, is not the evil which is being referred to, (in a rather round about way...) no matter how terrible the example just used was. No, what is being referred to is quite simply put: the cliffhanger.   
  
No, not the movie with that guy (what's 'is name?) in it. That's right, the correct definition of cliffhanger in this sense is the interruption of a story at the least appreciated time for the purpose of shamelessly propogating one's fanbase.   
  
There is however, an evil more insidious, vile, and downright sneaky lurking in the wings to follow the dreaded cliffhanger.   
  
Not immediately continuing where the aforementioned cliffhanger left off.   
  
Neener. Neener. Neener.   
  
***   
  
Filia was loath to admit it, but for the first time in her (admittedly non-lengthy) career, she was without a doubt completely and utterly without a clue as to how to proceed.   
  
She sat at her desk (which occupied a corner office not far from Dr. Talon's own) and looked drearily over the case files which littered her desk, along with the styrofoam cup of black vending-machine rendered coffee (which, if she wasn't quick, was going to eat through the cup which contained it, non-biodegradable or no) rapidly congealing in the early morning hours. Her eyes tracked over each mystery (including the coffee) in turn with tired resignation, and she felt the details turning sluggishly in her lack-of-sleep fogged mind.   
  
Case 1: Severe megalomania coupled with paranoid schizophrenia and an imagined persecution issue with Case 2 who may or may not have caused the subject hardships in the past. When placed in a situation of intense stress, the subject reverts to a "god-like" monster personality capable of nearly anything. Possible nymphomania included, though of course, highly selective.   
  
Case 2: Subject exhibits intense instances of narcissistic rage coupled with a low self-esteem. During instances of rage, exhibits highly volatile behavior (subdue as necessary, sedate when possible). Indulges in grossly gluttonous behavior whenever the opportunity presents itself (possibly a result of aforementioned low self-esteem) and seems to orient a majority of aforementioned volatile behavior at Case 3. Subject is also extremely sensitive (bringing up subject sometimes induces volatile behavior) concerning certain types of criminals, namely robbers, muggers, etc. Possible post traumatic stress disorder triggered by an event perpetrated by these "bandits"?   
  
Case 3: Subject exhibits complete detachment (borderline catatonia) from reality, though severe stress and physical violence (see Case 2) can regain subjects attention for short periods of time. Subject also exhibits gluttonous behavior whenever possible, however no underlying reason (Fear of reprisal from Case 2?) for this can be determined at this time. Subject exhibits phenomenal physical prowess but has little to no long term memory (suggesting a possible post-traumatic stress disorder related to Case 2). Subject is often victimized without provokation by Case 2 (emotional displacement disorder?).   
  
She pushed the case files aside and rubbed her eyes, then glanced at the case file for John Doe.   
  
It was nearly empty. It included a detailed physical analysis, but no personal details, past behavior, treatment history... in fact, it contained no history at all. John Doe not only didn't exist, no amount of drug or pain induced stimuli could evoke even the slightest reaction from him, with the notable exception of removing him from Xellos' company for extended periods of time. She sighed.   
  
"How am I supposed to treat someone who, for all intents and purposes, is a dead man?" She asked pointedly of her coffee cup.   
  
The coffee cup remained thoughtfully silent.   
  
She screwed her fists into her aching eyes and tried to rub the exhaustion from them. Leaning back in her chair, she stared at the slightly off-white ceiling.   
  
"The answer is I can't. I've got nothing on this guy, no way to reach him, whereever he is. I've got no way to look into his past, so I have no idea of what made him the way he is but..." She stopped.   
  
Standing up suddenly enough to bark her shin on leg of her desk, she winced, then grinned through the pain. "I'm such an idiot. Of course! The only way to reach him is through the only one who knows him. Xellos!" Her hands curled into fists at the thought. "I don't know why but he makes me so angry..." she shook for a moment, then returned to her usual, placid self. "Now comes the hard part. Somehow, I have to convince Dr. Talon to allow me to talk with him." She sat back down, deep in thought.   
  
Then looked up and smiled. "What the doctor doesn't know can't hurt him, can it?"   
  
Again, the coffee cup wisely forwarded no advice.   
  
***   
  
For the first time in his admittedly eventful life, Zelgadis was grateful for the interruption of his personal life by an unforseen life-or-death situation. Armies of flying beastmen he could deal with. Figuring out how to apologize to Amelia required a bit more work.   
  
Seeing that Gaav was currently busy elsewhere (not precisely lala land but close) he took the reins of command, returning Lina's pointed stare apologetically, but silently confrontational. Most of the groups tactics in the past had been centered around providing support for their small chested "big gun". Since that particular tactic was no longer feasible, it stood to reason that the most powerful of the remainder should give the orders...   
  
Wait a minute... who SAID their former tactics were infeasable?   
  
"Pix, I want you to help Lina muster up an offense." He snapped a quick glance in her direction.   
  
"Ok, master." She nodded.   
  
"No offense Zel, but what good is the fairy gonna do me?" Lina raised a dubious eyebrow at the fluttery little thing that had been following Zel around.   
  
Zelgadis snapped her a slightly bemused glance. "The "fairy" is an extremely powerful magical battery... if you're in physical contact, you should be able to cast-"   
  
He was interrupted by a startled gasp as Lina grabbed Pix in a deathgrip with a joyous look on her face. It became an evil grin that evolved into a scary giggle in the direction of their approaching foes.   
  
"Organs... imploding..." Pix wheezed, waving her arms feebly.   
  
"Hehehehe he... oh... sorry." Lina released Pix who fluttered warily to rest on her shoulder. Lina rubbed her hands together.   
  
Zelgadis gave her a warning look. "Her energy's not limitless... no Dragon Slaves ok?"   
  
"Awwwww..."   
  
Zelgadis shook his head and turned to Gourry. With Gourry, it was always best to remain simple. "Point defense." He stated, pointing at Lina.   
  
Gourry grinned. "Already on it." He smiled beautifically, watching the approaching formation intently. He dropped into a sword stance, not yet drawing his sword but with his hand on the hilt.   
  
"Shouldn't we at least try to mount some kind of attack? I feel sorta useless just sitting around here..." Mina droned, somewhat mesmerized by so many flapping wings.   
  
Zelgadis shook his head slowly. "No... Like I said earlier, this is the most defensible position for miles... since they look like they know what they're doing as far as airborne warfare is concerned, separating the group at this point would be suicide. We'd best try to stick it out here... pick off as many of them as we can with distance magic."   
  
She cast one last longing look at Gaav, then nodded silently, intent on the still somewhat distant but rapidly approaching airborne army.   
  
"Amelia?" he turned to her.   
  
Amelia crossed her arms and looked pointedly away.   
  
Zelgadis winced. "This isn't really the time or place for this, Princess."   
  
"I'm not speaking to you, and that's Queen, thank you very much."   
  
Zelgadis massaged the bridge of his nose.   
  
-Calm.- He thought to himself, breathing slowly. -Remain calm, after all, this IS your fault... somehow.-   
  
"Look, I'm sorry about earlier, but we really don't have time for this right now, your majesty."   
  
"We never really have time for it." She muttered darkly, shaking her head resignedly. Zelgadis stared at her a little dismayed. This wasn't like her at all. He sighed.   
  
"Just... put up a shield around the noncombatants ok?"   
  
"Whatever."   
  
"What hath transpired here, varlet?" Langdelin loomed over Zelgadis darkly. Hydra stood concernedly at his shoulder. Zelgadis rolled his eyes.   
  
"Do you even know what a varlet is?"   
  
Langdelin seemed to think about this for a moment before glaring at the swordsman again. "In point of fact, nay, though I'm passing sure 'tis... not good."   
  
Zelgadis shook his head. "Well "Sir Knight", take a look up there." He pointed up.   
  
Langdelin followed his finger up, then swelled with palpable joy. Zelgadis pointedly stepped back from him, lest he be splattered upon when the young knight exploded with righteous fervor.   
  
"God's Blood! Yon enemy has taken to the skies!" He fingered his chin in an instantaneous change of pose. "A most devious and dastardly trick." he nodded to himself twice quickly, then returned to pointing at the sky, his other hand clenched into a fist. fire erupted around him, and one got the impression that if this fic had camera angles, the camera would be circling dramatically around the expressive knight. "But to NO AVAIL!!! The heroes shall stand righteously with the might of Zomelgustar to gird their loins-"   
  
Mina, Lina and Zelgadis blinked. "Gird our what?"   
  
"-and the fires of righteousness will preheat the oven of Zomelgustar to 360 degrees for thirty minutes, baking our foemen until they are a delicious golden-brown, serves 10!!!" He stood taller as Hydra waved a "Go Team" flag behind him and threw confetti around randomly.   
  
Amelia blinked. "Was I ever THAT bad?"   
  
The rest of the group looked at her and simultaneously deadpanned. "Yes."   
  
***   
  
Arashi stared down intently upon his assembled foes. The Striking Talons were a crack team of soldiers, quite unlike the majority of Talon's army. He'd drilled them incessantly in air to ground tactics, since it was relatively rare to encounter enemies in the air, aside from the occasional sorceror. It was perhaps a testament to Valgaav's skill that he'd dealt them such a grievous blow in their initial combat, but Valgaav was no longer a threat, at least for the moment, and the losses the unit had incurred had been recouped by the Striking Talons Arashi had wisely held in reserve during that titanic battle, though they were still slightly understrength. He surveyed the 120 soldiers in tight formation around him, then nodded to himself.   
  
"Clutches four, five, and six, fletchettes to the ready!" He barked smartly, watching as his orders were repeated across the formation, tarps were snapped tight between pairs of soldiers and loaded down with the wickedly sharp projectiles the cannon crews of Sentinel had learned to fear.   
  
"Clutches ready, Lord!"   
  
Clutches one, two and three... assault dive formation on my point..." He unlimbered one of his wicked short spears and took the foremost position at the head of what was essentially a sixty man, spear-shaped formation. Locking his short spear a few feet in front of his face (Essentially turning himself into a horizontal projectile that was as small a target as possible to ground forces, while simultaneously putting all of his weight behind the spear.) he took a deep breath and the rest of the formation followed suit.   
  
"STRIKING TALONS!!! PUT THE FEAR OF LORD TALON INTO THEM!!! ATTACK MY TARGET!!" He bellowed.   
  
The forward formation pulled into a breakneck dive aimed directly at a certain small justice loving monarch...   
  
As overhead the Fletchette formation positioned itself with deadly accuracy, preparing to rain down death upon the hapless party...   
  
Death from above...   
  
***   
  
She wasn't sure, but she could swear that Xellos hadn't moved an inch from the position she'd seen him in last, though he was obviously conscious now. He watched her slit-eyed with a pleasant grin on his face, apparently innocent as a child, though the fact that he was securely constrained in a straight-jacket made the image somewhat hard to swallow.   
  
"Ah, Dr. Copt... to what do I owe the pleasure of your visit? Time for my medication again? Perhaps a sponge bath?" He leered at her, amazingly still innocent looking despite his perverse expression.   
  
She shook her head. "Hardly... I've just come to.... talk is all. Isn't that terribly uncomfortable?" she eyed him uncomfortably... at that angle he must have been straining his neck muscles something fierce.   
  
He shrugged (or tried to) unconcernedly. "I find it's much easier to stomach this place lying on my face. After all... I can hardly find a lower place to sink to if I'm on the floor, can I?" He chuckled slightly at his little joke.   
  
She stared at him for a moment before a look of resolved strength crossed her face. Taking care to avoid his face, she lifted him to a sitting position upon the bed (in much the same position she'd seen him when she FIRST encountered him). She stepped back and watched him quietly.   
  
He seemed amused somehow (well, more amused then he appeared normally). "I knew there was a bit more to you then there appears on the surface. My thanks, Filia."   
  
She frowned. "How do you know my name?"   
  
He grinned. "That is a secret."   
  
For some reason that phrase sent a sudden flash of irritation like a spike of physical pain right behind her eyes. She gritted her teeth reflexively. "Well be that as it may, I'm going to need to learn a few of your secrets, Xellos."   
  
He continued to watch her, but he no longer appeared overly amused. "Enlighten me as to why should I tell a puppet anything at all."   
  
She growled. "I'm not a puppet... I accepted this assignment of my own free will!"   
  
He grinned. "Well it's nice to see he put some effort into his deception, at least. He's pulling your strings masterfully, I can tell you."   
  
"Who?" She inquired, annoyed.   
  
He shrugged. "I think you know."   
  
She shook her head, putting his puzzling attitude aside for now. There were more important matters to be discussed. "Please... I need information about him..." she gestured towards the catatonic young man on the bed. "You're the only one who can help me."   
  
He shrugged. "Perhaps it's still possible to cut your strings. Very well... ask."   
  
She breathed a sigh of relief that tightened into a hiss when he continued. "However..."   
  
"However?" she asked, guardedly.   
  
He turned his face to regard her fully, his face becoming still and calculating again. "A question for a question. It's only fair I should think. Quid pro quo, Filia. Quid pro quo."   
  
"What could you possibly want to know about me?" She asked, astounded.   
  
"Humour me." He said flatly, watching her intently.   
  
"O-Okay..." she said with only a slight tremor in her voice.   
  
He lightened his attitude once again, and Filia got the rather disturbing impression that he'd just manipulated her into something. "Very well Doctor... ask away."   
  
"What is his name?" She asked warily, producing a notepad and pencil.   
  
"His name is Valgaav, though I don't think you'd quite know how to take his last name. Ask me again in a little while." He grinned mischeviously.   
  
"I thought you were going to be cooperative!" She snapped, frowning.   
  
"I AM a mental patient Filia dear, one can hardly expect me to comply at all." He said sweetly.   
  
She sighed. "I suppose so."   
  
"My turn." He grinned. "How did you get to work today?"   
  
She blinked. "What kind of question is THAT?"   
  
He smirked silently at her, awaiting her answer.   
  
"Very well I-" she stopped, drawing a blank.   
  
"I-" she frowned. She remembered walking up to the building this morning... WAS it this morning? How long ago WAS it? Try as she might, she could not recall how she'd gotten to work this morning... which was strange, because the Asylum was in the middle of nowhere. She couldn't have walked...   
  
Could she?   
  
"I don't remember..." she said in a small voice, her forehead creasing in confusion.   
  
He smiled deviously. "Oh nevermind... ask your next question, my dear Doctor."   
  
"Um... what's your relation to Valgaav, exactly?"   
  
He looked up, giving it a bit of thought. "Well, to answer your question exactly, I suppose I'd have to say that I am the last defense mechanism he has left."   
  
"I don't understand..."   
  
"Oh come now. A doctor of the mind such as yourself doesn't understand about defense mechanisms? I represent someone in his past that he identified with as being safe. A protector, if you will. I'm the last bit of conscious will he's got left fighting his enemies. I find that vaguely amusing, that he would find me safer than his own mother."   
  
"That doesn't make any sense... people can't just create living, breathing defense mechanisms! This is the real world!" She rubbed the bridge of her nose, tired. This was getting nowhere.   
  
"Who says?" he stared at her intently.   
  
"Who says what?"   
  
"Who says this is the real world? My next question Filia... How long have you been here?"   
  
"That's easy. I've been here for one day ..." She frowned. She distinctly remembered arriving, talking to Dr. Talon, encountering Xellos for the first time... watching him be sedated... except that from the amount of sedative he'd been given, he'd have been out for at least eight hours... and he'd probably have slept even longer than that. At a minimum that meant that she'd been here for ten hours... not strange in and of itself except...   
  
It was still sunny outside.   
  
"What the heck is going on?" she asked herself out loud.   
  
"I'll take that as your next question." He cocked his head slightly to the side. "You've been tricked. This place here, this illusion, was created to do one thing - buy time." He sighed. "Unfortunately it's beginning to look as though it might work. Pity. He's such a nice boy." He got that devious look again. "His mother will be quite devastated by his loss."   
  
"That doesn't make any sense! Who'd do such a thing? You're crazy!" She backed up a bit, clutching the notepad defensively. Normally she wouldn't have given his ravings a second thought, but all the strange gaps in her own memory... the physical descrepancies in her world, and a nagging feeling of wrongness confused her, turned her around. She didn't know what was right anymore.   
  
"This is an insane asylum, Doctor." He said dryly. "You can hardly blame me if I was. Since you seem so hung up on the logic of your situation, I put this to you. There are 57 patients being treated here. They all believe that this is an illusion, that they are, in fact, from a fantastic world of magic and monsters." He grinned. "You and the Doctor are the only ones who believe in this Asylum. I was under the impression that when a small sample of a population believe reality to be one thing, and the majority believe in another, that the smaller sample are the ones considered to be crazy. What do you say to that?"   
  
"The rest of the world doesn't believe in your fantasy!" she exclaimed.   
  
"Prove the rest of the world exists!" he grinned. "Give me one bit of information about the outside world. Your address... your neighbors... the very teachers who gave you your diploma... you should remember their names, right? Name one, and I'll admit that I'm the one who's crazy and you can dope me up again. If you can't, admit that I am correct and release me. I have work to do."   
  
She backpedaled, thinking furiously, opening the door with shaking hands, the notepad forgotten. Just before the door slammed shut... just before his voice was silenced, he shouted after her.   
  
"At the very least Filia, ask yourself who the villian is in this asylum of yours... ask well... and then tell me... who is in the portrait in the lobby?"   
  
She ran down the hallway recklessly, stopping only when a pair of cool gloved hands stopped her. "Dr. Copt! Where ever are you running in such haste?" Dr. Talon looked down at her concernedly, his dark glasses flashing in the flourescent lighting.   
  
"I... I... Xellos..." she sobbed, fighting his arms. They tightened almost painfully.   
  
"What did he tell you?" He demanded, his face turning cold... almost cruel.   
  
"He..." she looked up, suddenly confused and dizzy. A palpable coldness radiated from his hands and she tried to shake him off, but he held fast, his grasp tightening.   
  
"I told you not to talk to him." he sighed concernedly, then smiled.   
  
"You... naughty... naughty little girl."   
  
She blinked, looking up. All the concern, the emotion washed away from his face like the mist clearing before the burning sun, his veneer of civilization disappearing and becoming cruel enjoyment of her pain in his grasp. He shook his head.   
  
"I'm surprised you were able to fight my spell so effectively, but I suppose it doesn't matter anymore. I've consumed too much of him to be defeated by any white magic spell." He pushed her against the wall brutally, watching her try to clear the cobwebs from her mind with a smirk of enjoyment on his face. "Dear little Filia... did you honestly think you could beat me at my own game?" He sighed, removing his gloves slowly. "I may only be a part of Talon, but I am still greater than any dragon or half-dragon who ever lived! It's not too late for you though. This body is devilishly powerful... relinquish your protection of it, give me his true name... and I will allow you to turn tail and run... Refuse, and I will remove it forcefully from the mauled, bleeding, pitifully mewling thing that was once your sad excuse for a mind."   
  
She stood up, memories cascading inside her but too confused by the sudden shock of it all to do anything but turn blindly down the hallway and run... run from the monster in front of her.   
  
He followed her flight with his eyes, or lack thereof, behind dark glasses and shook his head. He called pleasantly behind her. "You're only delaying the inevitable!"   
  
She continued to run, hopelessly lost in the maze of passageways.   
  
He sighed. "Very well... 1, 2, 3, 4... ready or not, here I come!"   
  
***   
  
Amelia had a split second to gape in shock as the formation of flying beastmen came crashing down on her before combat reflexes took over and she fast cast a shield spell.   
  
-T-They're after ME!- she thought fearfully, and then thought was directed toward maintaining her spell as the formation impacted with her shield like a rain of boulders.   
  
Er... rain of boulders with sharp, pointy STICKS.   
  
"Amelia!" Zelgadis gasped, running! desperately for her position as her shield flashed suddenly blue, then white, then a pale yellow with the dozens of bodies that impacted with it then rebounded back into the air. Diving forward, he missed being decapitated by a short spear by a hair's breadth, turned his dive into a roll, and ended up in a crouch with his hands spread wide- bolstering her failing shield with a shield of his own. The last of the dive-bombers pulled up and split in every possible direction, though it was obvious from their flight patterns that they would form up again just out of reach. With a grin and a flick of magical muscles too long dormant, Lina blasted several fireballs up at the fleeing formation, and several Striking Talons were instantly incinerated by the magical flames... but as a whole, the formation got out unscathed, setting up for a second run in the distance.   
  
Arashi, however, had other plans. Using the cloud of bodies as a mask, he dropped past Amelia and Zelgadis' shield, hitting the ground at a dead run for the injured half-dragon, the priestess and the Soul of Fury. It was a good plan, and probably would have worked.   
  
Probably would have worked, that is, if he hadn't appeared to be threatening a certain Inverse's boyfriend.   
  
"Oh no you don't!" Mina shouted, suddenly just THERE and swinging her sword in a vicious arc that barely missed taking Arashi out at the knees. He spun his short spear around to parry, his other hand slipping out to grab the other short spear that, when combined with the weapon already in his grasp, created the two-headed spears the Striking Talons were so feared for. Using the two short spears in tandem, he swept low for her legs with one; while twisting the short spear he'd parried her sword with in a tight circle so that the tines would catch her blade and strip it from her. She surprised him by jumping over his low swing and spinning, switching hands on the longsword so that the angle prevented him from disarming her.   
  
He spun with her, aiming a hissing backhanded high slash with the spear that had previously been aimed for her legs and stabbing for her chest with the other. She reacted by diving left and parrying his stab, while throwing up her other hand and flinging a flare arrow at him. Eyes widening, he reacted in a manner no normal combatant could have, shooting upwards into the sky. The flare arrow flashed out, forcing Gourry to dive aside yelping, and passing so close to Zelgadis' head that, were his hair made of a less resiliant material, might have given him a smoking reverse mohawk.   
  
"Hey watch it!" He shot her an irritated glare, which she returned with a sheepish shrug and a muttered. "Sorry..."   
  
She scanned the sky furiously but the skilled beastman warrior she'd been fighting was nowhere to be seen.   
  
Then she saw why.   
  
"Crap! Zel, we got incoming!" She shouted, pointing.   
  
Zel looked up as his supernatural hearing picked up a whistling noise that intruded upon his concentration. His eyes widened.   
  
"LINA! AMELIA! SHIELD! UP! NOW!"   
  
Not bothering to question the mystical swordsman's judgement, they nodded and complied...   
  
A few seconds later, literally hundreds of fletchettes rained down on their shield. All three sorcerors maintaining the shield gritted their teeth and strained to maintain the barrier. Mina grimaced.   
  
"This isn't going to work for long..."   
  
Zel gritted his teeth. "I know... I know..."   
  
Langdelin shook his head. "Uncivilized and crude, but effective. I canst not get in a single attack with my sword. A pity." He sighed, calmly removing a bundle from his horse's back and ignoring the glares of his more gainfully employed party members. Hydra watched him curiously (it having never occurred to her to bother helping... defensive magic was not her forte, and her normal tactic of flying and raining down ice spells was obviously suicide in this situation.). Langdelin swept off his hat and bowed to her. "Prithee thine assistance milady."   
  
She blushed. "What can I-" she cleared her throat. "I mean, what can the greatest sorceress of all time do to assist you, Sir Knight?"   
  
"As I use these up..." He flung open the waxed canvas bundle, which rolled out to reveal a dozen long metal pipes with waxed paper seals on both ends in several pockets along its length. "Do me the honor..." He removed a handle shaped object from the end of the bundle and snapped something on it's base out, where it locked with a click, making a sort of pistol shaped form without a barrel. "Of reloading them." Picking up one of the pipes, he locked it into place and put it between his legs, striking a match and lighting the magnesium fuse fixed onto the hammer of the now exceedingly long barreled rifle.   
  
She frowned. "I don't know how..."   
  
He dropped to one knee and sighted in on one of the Striking Talons preparing to dive for the beleagured party. "I suggest thee figure it out most quickly then, milady. Time is of the essence."   
  
He pulled the trigger. Everyone's attention whipped around to the horrendously loud bang that emitted from his direction. He looked up, a smile of satisfaction on his face, flicking the now empty barrel loose onto the ground and snapping another into place. Their gaze whipped back around to the formation as one of the beastmen screamed and plummeted for the ground clutching his chest. Langdelin grinned. "Have at thee."   
  
Lina stopped tossing fireballs left and right to blink, dumbfounded. "Whatdoyaknow? Fanaticus is useful after all..."   
  
Amelia and Pix snorted.   
  
***   
  
Several frenzied minutes of combat later, the group was on its last legs. Mina, Lina and Zelgadis gazed at one another anxiously, well aware that the next focused attack was certain to break through their defenses. They'd managed to destroy a third of their attackers, but most of their magical strength had been expended using fireballs and flare arrows to knock out one or two of the beastmen at a time. Pix hung onto Lina's shoulder wearily, her wings drooping disheartedly.   
  
"I'm sorry master. I don't have much power left."   
  
Amelia frowned, looking up at the formation. "Neither do I." She shook a fist at them. "Dang it! Come down here and fight fair."   
  
"You tell 'em, Amelia." Lina snapped. "While you're at it, tell 'em I'm getting hungry."   
  
Zelgadis surveyed the formations in a state of outward calm. Inwardly he was just as tired as the rest, though he still had quite a bit of fight left in him. "At least the rain of metal has stopped... we only have to deal with their aerial charge attacks now..."   
  
Lina glared at him. "Am I supposed to be feeling more confident after that observation? Sorry Zel, I ain't feelin' the love yet."   
  
A bang sounded behind them and another of the fliers screamed and spiraled for the ground. A hearty cry of "Huzzah!" sounded in the background.   
  
Zelgadis smirked. "Well at least one of us is having fun."   
  
Mina wrinkled her nose. "Well that would matter if we just had to deal with a few of them, but there has to be at least a formation and a quarter of them left. They're after Amelia and Valgaav... that's the only explanation for them ignoring Knight Boy over there. This is going nowhere fast... we need..."   
  
*Hey*   
  
"We need.."   
  
*Hey!*   
  
She blinked. "We need..." she looked around confusedly.   
  
*HEY!! HERO! Pay attention!*   
  
She stopped in mid sentence and looked at her sword in confusion. Zelgadis blinked.   
  
"Yeah, it's still a sword, Mina." Gourry remarked sagely. With anyone else this might have been considered sarcasm.   
  
"I know that, Dad! It's talking to me!" She snapped.   
  
Lina, Amelia, and Zelgadis gave one another worried looks. Lina frowned.   
  
"Ok Mina." she pointed at Langdelin and Hydra. "Over there with the rest of the loonies."   
  
Mina waved her hand irritably. "Hold on a sec."   
  
"Who are you?" She asked the sword.   
  
*Who do you think I am? I told you this was a part of me.*   
  
"Well yeah, but I figured you meant that... um, figuratively."   
  
It snorted. *And since when have I been anything other than direct?*   
  
"Good point. Ok, so we've got a problem... any idea how to solve it?"   
  
The sword seemed to warm a bit. *Why don't you just blast them from the sky?*   
  
She groaned. "We've been trying! They split up too fast!"   
  
Zelgadis narrowed his eyes. "Here they come again. Get ready."   
  
The sword chuckled darkly. *You just aren't asking the right Dark Lord.*   
  
She muttered to herself. "What good is using black magic going to do? That's more draining than shamanistic spells! Plus I doubt there are any Dark Lords that would be... favorable to..." she stopped, then grinned evilly.   
  
*You got it now* Mina got the distinct impression that the sword was grinning mockingly at her. Her normal recourse for such behavior was to kick the misbehaving Dark Lord in the shins, but seeing as the sword lacked shins, was likely cut her quite badly if she kicked it, and was currently the possible solution to her latest predicament, she wisely refrained from such an action.   
  
Instead, pointing the sword towards the approaching formation with both hands, she sighted in on the middle of it and concentrated on flaming, explosive death.   
  
"GAAV-FLAAAAAAAARE!"   
  
The sword glowed for a moment, a ball of flame the size of a basketball flickering in front of it. Time seemed to slow down as it doubled in size, then speed sickeningly back up to speed as the ball of fiery death shrieked out towards the formation with a howl of inhuman rage. Mina almost dropped the sword as the ball of fury flashed THROUGH two hapless beastmen, turning them to ash before they even had time to scream. Hovering in midair for a moment, the ball exploded outward in an incandescent flash of concussive fury, and the sky began to rain flaming, and in some cases shrieking, bodies. What was left of the shattered formation scattered confusedly, gaining altitude.   
  
Lina blinked. "Wow... do that again. Do it LOTS."   
  
Mina stared at the sword slack jawed.   
  
*Was it good for you?* It chuckled.   
  
"Mina!" Zelgadis snapped.   
  
"Yes?!" She turned to him, all business.   
  
"Aim that at the other formation... I think I know who's in charge up there... I'm going to try and distract him."   
  
"How?"   
  
He grinned coldly. "By convincing him I'm crazy."   
  
She blinked. "Huh?"   
  
"LEVITATION!" He shouted, taking off straight up, his cloak flapping behind him.   
  
She shook her head. "He IS crazy."   
  
Langdelin took aim, biting his lip in concentration. He'd run out of preloaded barrels; time to use the ones the lady Hydra had prepared. Taking aim, he pulled the trigger...   
  
A thunderclap sounded behind the party again and they blinked and turned to see Langdelin lying flat on his back with smoke curling up from his blackened face and upper chest. Suddenly he sat up, thoughtfully pinched out the small flame flickering on the end of his hat, then raised a single finger as though making an extremely valid point.   
  
"A bit too much powder perhaps."   
  
Then he slumped backward, stunned.   
  
Hydra winced. "Sorry."   
  
***   
  
She'd lost track of how long she'd been running. Exhausted, she leaned against a wall and took stock of her situation.   
  
It did not fill her with confidence.   
  
Somehow she'd been tricked into believing his illusion was reality, and while he'd had her running around in circles trying to treat the illusionary patients of this place, he'd been patiently worming his way deeper into Valgaav's psyche.   
  
-Well... at least I don't have to deal with that freakishly warped version of Xellos... I was actually starting to LIKE the guy.-   
  
Wait a minute... Xellos had WARNED her about this... did that mean... did that mean that he cared about...?   
  
She shuddered about the ramifications of a conscientious Xellos.   
  
-It's gotta be some kinda trick... besides, it doesn't look like it's going to matter anyway... I can't beat him like THIS!-   
  
She balled her hands into fists and straightened up, resolute anger filling her. "NO! I'm not giving up! There has to be some...."   
  
She stopped, her eyes wide. "The portrait!"   
  
She ran again, but this time there was purpose to her frantic pace. She only hoped she was correct about her assumption...   
  
Because an extremely hungry dark godlet was fast on her heels...   
  
***   
  
Bursting in upon the lobby, she skidded to a halt, frantically searching for the portrait that Xellos/Valgaav had directed her to seek out. It had to be here... HAD to.... THERE!!   
  
Old and faded, it was easy to overlook, almost out of place. A confident, almost arrogant red-haired giant stared down at her from it, his mocking grin challenging anyone to stand up to him. So caught up was she in her fascinated study of Gaav, that she almost missed the dark chuckle behind her.   
  
"He's quite bound, I assure you. Now... where WERE we?"   
  
She turned around and backed up against the picture, narrowing her eyes at Talon. He'd given up all pretense, shedding his dark glasses and gloves. He shook his head sadly.   
  
"Come now Filia. It doesn't have to be this way. We both know what I want. Give it to me, and I swear to you I'll let you go. Gaav too... I'm feeling generous. If you're worried about losing your son I PROMISE.... you'll HARDLY notice the difference!" He chuckled nastily.   
  
"I'd sooner die!" she shouted angrily, wracking her brain for some way to release Gaav... it was the only chance now.   
  
"I beg to differ... I have no intention of killing you." He said pleasantly, stalking forward. "What I have in store for you is infinitely less pleasant than dying."   
  
She turned around. "Gaav! Gaav! Wake up! You have to wake up!"   
  
"He can't hear you." Talon smirked. "You might as well give up."   
  
"Gaav! Please! YOU HAVE TO WAKE UP! VALGAAV IS IN TROUBLE! GAAV!"   
  
Talon shook his head. "He doesn't care about Valgaav! He's the Demon Dragon King!" he chuckled, turning the title into a joke. "He doesn't care about ANYONE!"   
  
Filia slid down the portrait, sobbing. "Please Gaav... He's my son. He's... he's your son... please..."   
  
A cracking sound echoed through the hall and Talon stopped advancing, confused. "What the?!"   
  
A cannonball sized fist slammed through the portrait front and clenched on Talon's collar, lifting him easily off of his feet. He gulped.   
  
"I... don't... believe...." He choked out, clutching that iron grip weakly with both hands to no avail.   
  
"Believe it!" Gaav growled, his angry face inches from Talon's startled gaze. "You the one who's been pickin' on my boy?"   
  
Talon blinked. "Er..."   
  
"I don't appreciate that very much. Allow me to demonstrate my lack of appreciation."   
  
Gaav smiled.   
  
It was not a pleasant smile.   
  
Neither was Filia's.   
  
***   
  
The combat between Zelgadis and Arashi was something legends could have been made of, had any minstrels been around to witness it. Two masters of combat streaked across the sky, attack and counter-attack being traded so quickly and mercilessly that one slip, one slight mistake would have spelled doom for either master. Zelgadis did not seem to be hampered too badly by his use of only one sword, using one stony arm to block the occasional strike that slipped past his guard. Blood ran freely down his arm from the deep cuts that the wickedly sharp spear had carved into his immensely thick skin, but he ignored it as superficial. Arashi dealt with his various cuts and bruises with similar fatalistic stoicism, accepting the pain as his penance for failing Talon.   
  
Yet despite the pain, despite the life or death struggle, both men had savage grins of enjoyment.   
  
The ragged remains of the formation was in serious trouble. Without Arashi to lead them, the Striking Talons had degenerated into a series of one or two man attacks on the party, which while taking their toll, couldn't begin to get through such hardened warriors as Gourry and Mina.   
  
Then Valgaav shrieked.   
  
All combat stopped as a black form arced up out of Valgaav's wound and started to slink away, mewling angrily. Without opening his eyes, Gaav's huge hand flashed out like a striking snake and crushed it into squealing pulp, and a momentary spark of red lightning marked the end of the mini-Talon. Gaav opened his eyes and supported Filia as she slumped to the ground, exhausted. Setting her down gently he looked up at the scene before him.   
  
"What in the HELL is going on here?!" He barked out angrily.   
  
Mina waved tiredly. "Hi hun... just a little WAR here... Mind helping a bit?"   
  
He cracked his knuckles and grinned. "Sure thing. "Hun"."   
  
Arashi looked on, dismayed. His plan of attack was in shambles now, and he closed his eyes, shaking his head. Arcing into the sky out of Zelgadis' range for the moment, he shouted out a command to the rest of the remaining Striking Talons. "RETURN TO LORD TALON. YOU CANNOT STAND BEFORE THE SOUL OF FURY AS YOU ARE."   
  
One frightened warrior looked up at him and shook his head. "No lord! Lord Talon will surely destroy us! Let us at least die cleanly... a warrior's death!"   
  
Arashi shook his head, closing his eyes. "No. I will not have the Striking Talons pass from memory without ever having known the wonders of the homeland. Go. I will spend my last breath fighting our enemies. Let the blame fall upon my shoulders, for it was my failure that led us to this."   
  
The warriors nodded solemnly and saluted him with clenched fists, then winged away. Arashi opened his eyes and looked at Zelgadis.   
  
"I would know your name, stalwart one." he intoned solemnly.   
  
Zelgadis nodded to him. "Zelgadis Greyweirs. It has been an honor...?"   
  
"Arashi of the Striking Talons." He grinned coldly. ! "Record my name wherever you Inlanders keep such records, Greyweirs, for I will sell it dearly."   
  
Zelgadis nodded grimly, his eyes hard, then brought his sword to an attack stance. Arashi climbed, then seemed to start to fall, spinning lazily. The sky was his, the wind flowed swift beneath his wings, and he screamed out a battle cry, diving down at the Soul of Fury.   
  
A suicide dive.   
  
Zelgadis gritted his teeth and cancelled his levitation spell, dropping through the sky right on top of the plummeting beastman. Just above the feathered warrior, he straightened out into a dive mirroring Arashi's, struggling to create the least amount of drag. "Such a damned waste." he muttered to himself.   
  
Needless to say, he dropped like a rock.   
  
Gaav wasn't the sort of person to take such an attack sitting down, or standing up for that matter. Gathering his strength, he crouched down low, then put all of his considerable strength into a leap, sword clearing sheath in a fluid single motion, held two handed, high and to the side. The ground where he had been standing not milliseconds before was cracked and visibly depressed from the strength of his leap. The party watched wide-eyed as he arced upward, three men on a collision course that could only end in death or dismemberment.   
  
It did.   
  
Contrary to what the party below believed, Zelgadis had no intention of getting in Gaav's way. He knew instantly how Gaav would react to a threat from above, having witnessed it before. An experienced swordsman, he understood Arashi's fatalism in that moment, but that didn't mean he had to like it, and in the short fight in the air he'd gained quite a bit of respect for the man. Instead, of contributing to what was almost certainly going to be a grievous amount of damage, he dropped past the airborne fight and reinstituted his levitation spell, turning in mid air to watch quietly.   
  
Gaav had timed his leap perfectly; catching Arashi at such an angle as to make most of the stoic beastman's downward force useless, he flashed just past him and slashed downward. Arashi was a good enough warrior that he could have made a course correction to meet the Dark Lord properly, but he had rather obviously resigned himself to his fate once Gaav had leapt. That terrible blade hissed downward, and the sick sound of bone parting and flesh seperating filled the now nearly silent air. Arashi shrieked in agony as one of his beautiful wings was severed from his body, releasing his short spears and awkwardly reaching up to clutch the ruined stump. Gaav continued past, unharmed, and slammed heavily into the ground, looking skyward. He frowned grimly... what was Zelgadis doing?   
  
Zelgadis came up and somehow managed to grab Arashi by one arm, straining upward to stop his downward descent. Arashi might have fought! him, had he not passed out from the agony of losing his wing. The ungainly airborne duo crashed to the ground a few feet from the startled party, and Zelgadis wasted no time, immediately doing what he could to stop the heavy bleeding. Arashi moaned painfully, shuddering.   
  
"What the hell are you doing, Zel?" Lina asked confusedly.   
  
Zelgadis looked at her calmly. "This is the only source of information we are likely to get about our enemy." He returned to his work. "Besides... after the way he treated his men... he deserves better than this."   
  
Gaav shook his head, crossing his arms. "He'd be better off dead with a wound like that, Zelgadis. You're not doing him any favors."   
  
Zelgadis glared at him. "That's the difference between you and me, Dark Lord..." He shook his head. "I'm giving him a choice whether he lives or dies, something not even his master gave him, obviously."   
  
Gaav blinked and looked away, oddly subdued . "A choice, huh?"   
  
He walked up and Zelgadis watched him warily, but he merely bent down and laid his hand on the stricken warrior's cheek. A wicked scar flashed into red lightning and slid into his palm, then without explanation, he moved on, stopping next to Mina.   
  
Zelgadis blinked, not sure what to make of it.   
  
"Just reclaiming something that was stolen from me, chimera." He grimaced. "Still, I can't help but wonder..." he shook off whatever introspection he was about to reveal and looked at Mina. A choice would have been nice for me... a long time ago." He rumbled softly. (don't ask me how you rumble softly)   
  
Mina looked up at him concernedly, but said nothing as she leaned against him. Gaav accepted her weight without complaint, and (if one were observant enough to catch it) shifted slightly to accomodate her.   
  
After a shocked moment, an exhausted Amelia stumbled next to Zelgadis and began to help him with the bloodied warrior intently, wincing when she saw Zelgadis' own ravaged arm, but saying nothing.   
  
Lina leaned against Gourry and sighed. "I'm getting too old for this."   
  
Pix raised an exhausted hand from her shoulder. "I'll second that motion."   
  
Lina blinked, then sighed as Gourry took her hand.   
  
She brightened. "SO! Who else is ready for lunch?"   
  
Everyone blinked and looked at her.   
  
"What?" she asked, irritated.   
  
*** 


	27. Nothing To Do But Wait Let The Angst Com...

Author's Note: Yes, all, I know it's been a long time since my last update. Any apology I could give you I know would be pointless. Hence, the best apology I can make is to give you this. I had intended to make this chapter alot longer than this, but then it occurred to me that AA would probably split it up anyway, and I'm not completely done with the other half yet. It needs a little something more to be finished, and I'm not going to delay the update any further. However, rest assured that the regular updates will once again commence. I had the worlds most horrid case of writer's block, mainly because of the sheer number of character interactions... important character interactions, that are coming up. As such, there isn't a whole lot of humor in this chapter... it HAS to be done this way, because I refuse to duck the important FEELINGS in this story, and it is necessary. So if this chapter is a disappointment to you after such a long wait, I can only say that I wrote it the way I've always written Shards. I let it flow out of me, looked at when it was done, and said to myself it ain't perfect, but it's as good as I'm gonna get it.  
  
So without further ado or useless excuses... Chapter 27.  
  
"I'm so free, it's really amazing. I'm so clean, too bad I can't get all the dirt off me. I'm so sane, it's drivin' me crazy. It's so strange, I can't believe it feels just like I'm fallin' for the first time. Anyone perfect must be lying. Anything easy has it's cost. Anyone plain, can be lovely. Anyone loved, can be lost. What if I lost my direction? What if I lost sense of time? What if I nurse this infection? Maybe the worst is behind..." Fallin' For the First Time, Barenaked Ladies  
  
Not for the first time, (and most certainly not for the last, because he's just so damn dramatic, DUN DUN DUN!) our story continues with a slow pan downward through a ceiling of grey stone to reveal Lord Talon hard at work in what has become his personal chambers within the Sentinel Prison Tower. Picture, if you will, the eight remaining Bloodguard, lined up four to a side along a short walkway up to a plain but well constructed desk, strewn with battleplans and emergency standard operating procedures for various Sailoonian disasters. Wonder in amazement that the standard emergency operating instructions for a huge friggin' army of bloodthirsty barbarians led by a sadistic Dark Godlet attacking seem to be conspicuously absent. Since (if you are a perverse and hopelessly fan-ish individual like me) you're already doing so, throw in the Imperial March during all of this, just for good measure.  
  
Now stop it, because not only is it inappropriate to the genre, yet ANOTHER thing we can get sued for (and I have a feeling George Lucas is going to be in need of cash soon, if you get my drift), and just plain silly, but you're annoying Talon, and he's hard enough to work with as it is.  
  
Warily shifting his gaze around, irritated without knowing exactly why, Talon continued to scan through the various documents on his desk. His eventual conquest of Sailoon (even if it was only the means to an end... emphasis on the END) might have been assured, but it never hurt to at least give the APPEARANCE of caring how many of the bloody corpses of his people he'd be willing to walk over to get there.  
  
It's hard to say exactly what constitutes as a "good" or "bad" day for Talon. One state of wakefulness is usually seperated from another by a period of at least a few hours of complete detachment from reality in the form of sleep. Talon does not sleep (this might explain his general crankiness) so to say he is having a good or a bad day is largely inaccurate.  
  
All semantic bullshit aside, Talon is having a good day.  
  
It's about to take a decided turn for the worse.  
  
Leaning back in his chair, Talon smiled contentedly. Nothing in the documents suggested that Sailoon was going to react any differently from the pathetic defenders of Sentinel. If anything, things would be easier this time around. The idiots listed invasion as an emergency, and had STANDARD OPERATING PROCEDURES for dealing with attackers. Sentinel had only been so difficult to take because Tess had apparently only given them a cursory nod... operating in such a manner that the LETTER of the operating procedures had been carried out, while simultaniously being anything BUT what the SOP had intended (Which had apparently been the total sacking of the city with only confused or half-assed resistance while the majority of the city's forces helped the civilian refugees make their way back to Sailoon itself. It was one of those directives that appears from time to time in any organization that looks really good and thoughtful on paper, but when actually implemented has people looking at you with raised eyebrows saying, "what the FUCK were you thinking?") Yes, things pretty much looked like they were going according to plan.  
  
Then someone took a sledgehammer to Talon's right temple.  
  
At least, in the metaphysical sense.  
  
Talon hid his reaction quite well, all things considered. His eyes crossed, to be sure, but since he doesn't have eyes, persay, that went completely unnoticed. His hands clenched on the desk, he leaned forward, and his teeth clenched. Then he slowly straightened, took a deep breath, and relaxed.  
  
Total, his loss of composure lasted approximately eight seconds.  
  
That doesn't change the fact that it hurt like hell.  
  
Frowning, he probed the aching spot in his being like a man probing a sore tooth with his tongue. Seen astrally, Talon looked much like a web of malignant black energy stretched out across hundreds of thousands of points, all centered around a vaguely spider shaped (if one squinted and tilted one's head slightly to the left... heh.. ok, yeah, that one's getting old) blob of darkness. One section of "him" had just suddenly flickered out, but THAT he had been expecting. What he hadn't been expecting was the sudden tearing sensation of a piece of himself being ripped violently out of place and into... what?  
  
It was not something Talon had ever experienced before, and he was quite sure he didn't like it. Another thing he was utterly sure of...  
  
Arashi had failed him for the last time.  
  
He sighed. "Pity... he was a decent chess player."  
  
If the Bloodguard were confused by his enigmatic statement, they gave no sign.  
  
***  
  
The mood around the adventurers' campfire was subdued, and quietly meloncoly. Oh and irritable. Definately some irritation thrown in for good measure. This was due in no small part to the fact that Lina, who tended to be a touch grumpy even in the best of circumstances, was being forced to deal with what passed for trail rations for her well seasoned crew. While this was somewhere between the level of sumptuous feast and sheer glutinous self-indulgence for any NORMAL adventuring group, it was a bit on the lean side where Lina was concerned. It certainly didn't help that she'd gotten decidedly used to the soft living a retired adventuring lifestyle had afforded her, and it immediately became clear that Lina was not a happy camper.  
  
Still, she restrained herself quite well, all things considered... well, considering the fact that she was no longer the heavy hitter in this group, and quite frankly, the heavy hitter that WAS in the group was probably looking for an excuse to swat her one, possible future son-in-law or no...  
  
And didn't that little fact ALSO contribute to the well traveled path everyone seemed to be making across her last nerve.  
  
The small (well, maybe not so small, anymore... Christ, but I'm a glutton for punishment) band of adventurers had decided that, hour being what it was, lunch was perhaps a bit optimistic, and it would be a good idea to stop for the night. While this made the more tactically minded members of the party feel a bit exposed, Filia informed them in no uncertain terms that if they thought Valgaav was in a condition to be moved... let alone Zelgadis' erstwhile (and quite mercifully unconscious) prisoner, they had another thing coming.  
  
Considering Filia's current mood, that thing probably had spikes on it.  
  
Lina stared around the campfire at the well intentioned group of idiots, fools, and madmen that made up her current cohort as she thoughtfully gnawed on a bit of salted beef still stubbornly clinging to the bone clenched death-grippingly in her right hand. Gaav stared moodily into the fire, one hand unconsciously clenched on his sword, the other wrapped protectively around the, by comparison, very frail shoulders of someone Lina would rather was several thousand leagues from this place, rather than snuggled up fast asleep against the brooding giant's side. It was a touching sight, Lina was forced (grudgingly) to admit, since it was obviously an unconscious display of mutual trust and comfort, but try as she might, Lina was unable to accept the idea of a Dark Lord... a Mazoku... even one with a human soul, getting increasingly intimate with her flesh and blood.  
  
This was not simply a matter of prejudice either. The Mazoku were a race not so much steeped in evil as they were defined by it. Never in the history of Lina's world (and she was something of a scholar, despite appearances) had there ever been a recorded instance of any Mazoku displaying any sort of mercy or compassion. Lina understood this wasn't a conscious choice on their part... they were not MEANT to understand these emotions... they were meant to destroy them.  
  
It's alot easier to destroy something you don't understand. Lina knew this better than most.  
  
She shook her head wearily and looked at her own mate and source of support. She smiled fondly despite herself. Gourry might have been a bit slow, but there was no evil in him... no jealousy or hatred. He was just a pillar of strength who'd supported her for almost all of her adult life. There were times when she wondered why he'd decided to chain himself to an impossibly irritable and contrary young sorceress, especially considering how caring and considerate her closest rival was. If anyone matched Gourry for temper or disposition, it was Sylphiel. Lina had never asked Gourry why he'd made the choice that he had.   
  
She was at least mature enough to realize that she was a little afraid of the answer.  
  
Her Soulmate and traveling companion was currently gorging himself on "trail" rations as well, oblivious to her sudden introspection. Normally, his frantic consumption of food would have sparked an intense rivalry in Lina for said victuals, but today she simply turned her attention to the rest of her companions.  
  
Zelgadis. If ever there was an individual that Lina had encountered who fit the definition of the term, "Odd Duck", Zel was it. Of all of her companions, he was the only one still standing, staring into the distance as though focused on some goal invisible to everyone else's perception. His arms were folded across his chest, one now bandaged up in the absence of healing magic (no one wanted to admit how close to defeat they had come at the hands of that strange flock of militant gargoyles that had appeared from no where). Lina sighed and shook her head. Zelgadis was defined by his feelings of estrangement and his determination to become like everyone else. He was a restless soul who could not stop searching for a better fate. Zelgadis' strange determination had forced upon him an unfortunate sort of tunnel vision. It was evidenced in the form of the fairy that fluttered nervously just out of his vision, wringing her hands in worry.  
  
As well in the slumped shoulders and dark expression on the normally cheerful face of the sole Monarch who traveled with them. Lina felt a sort of motherly concern for the younger woman. She'd watched Amelia grow up from the hopelessly naive young champion for justice into the more world wise but no less focused warrior for justice she now was. Lina had been aware of Amelia's infatuation long before the monarch herself had been... at first she'd teased the younger woman about it, more or less expecting her to grow out of it. Amelia? With Zelgadis?! It was absurd. If any two people walked different paths down different roads, it would be those two. However, Lina was forced to admit they had more similarities then either cared to admit. Both were the type to suffer silently when hurt... Amelia behind her cheerful disposition, Zelgadis behind his cold, stony mask. Both had a deep sense of conviction... a code of honor, for lack of a better term.   
  
Both of them were ridiculously stubborn and somewhat foolish where emotions were concerned.  
  
An annoying, droning sort of noise caught Lina's attention and she searched for the source of the noise. As she focused her attention on it, her gaze fell upon the two most recent additions to their company. Sir Langdelin of Xoana, his armor once again polished to a mirror sheen, his features scrubbed clean of the clinging soot from his unfortunate encounter with explosives... and that ridiculously out of place hat perched on his head, gestured animatedly towards his rapt audience with one hand, the other hand holding one of those long tubes he'd used so effectively before. Miss Hydra nodded enthusiastically and bent in closer to watch his hands, which expertly loaded various objects into the barrel and tamped them down.   
  
-Great,- Lina thought tiredly, -Looks like Fanaticus over there has managed to snag a convert. Just what we need. More nuns with guns.- She looked away.  
  
This action brought her gaze to the small tent hastily erected (heh heh... erected. Ok, that was beneath me.) to house the injured half dragon and... whatever the hell Arashi was. Bird... Guy. Thing. Filia sat concernedly next to the two of them, refusing sleep or sustenance to care for them both. While she lavished equal attention on both parties, it was obvious where her heart was at in the unconscious caressing hand she occasionally placed on Valgaav's forehead. Lina sighed.   
  
So much worry and hurt, and yet so much hope mixed up in one confusing bundle. What the hell was going on? Who were those freaks they'd fought? Who was this brother that Gaav kept referring to... ANOTHER Dark Lord?  
  
And the question that haunted her most of all... where had her magic gone?  
  
A sudden movement just in her field of vision brought her attention back to Gaav, who had stood up so fast that Mina started and blinked sleepily up at him in surprise.   
  
Everyone stopped what they were doing and stared at him.  
  
Gaav noticed their stares and frowned. "I'm going for a walk." He announced suddenly, as though proclaiming some great revelation, belted on his sword, then strode off into the twilight.   
  
Mina blinked sleepily, winced and stood, staring after him.  
  
"What's wrong with him?" She wondered out loud.  
  
Lina gave her a sour look. "Probably pissed 'cause he hasn't had an opportunity to hit something in over an hour."  
  
Mina gave her mother a dark look and crossed her arms. "Gee mom, way to be supportive."  
  
Lina continued to stare at her progeny, and Mina gave a frustrated scowl and hurried after him.  
  
"Those two are gonna have problems." She mused aloud.  
  
***  
  
Gaav strode through the brush unmindful of the stinging branches that swung in his way. His thoughts were internalized, on the conflict within him. Only yesterday he'd been without a past, barely a quarter of what he once was, an unrepentent and brutal killer. Now he had this... this weight on his heart and a warmth in him that both pained and soothed him at the same time. Dnarc's anger and rage still surged through him, mixed with the contempt his mazoku self had for this weakness he'd allowed into himself... it was all too much... so many conflicting emotions running through him at once that the last few hours seemed like a year (Author whistles, puts hands behind back and looks skyward -DT)  
  
Still... he would fight to the death and perhaps beyond to keep that girl safe. That sword she now carried was proof of that. He wondered if she understood how important it was. To him, a sword represented everything he perceived as strength... unyielding, strong, and sharp. You couldn't hide a sword like you could a dagger or a knife... couldn't use it as a tool. It was a weapon, pure and simple, and if it was bared then soon there was going to be violence committed.  
  
Just like him.  
  
Still, though an object of destruction it could be directed towards positive goals. The defense of the innocent, the protection of a loved one... it symbolized trust. She might not be aware of how vulnerable to her that sword made him. Honor and a sword were both useless if broken.   
  
All this introspection was just pissing him off even more. Why did he think like this?! The Mazoku part of him told him that this weakness... this girl was going to get him killed. Despite this, he didn't want... no, couldn't let her go. It was maddening.  
  
Not to mention the fact that he hadn't HIT anything in what... like an hour?  
  
"Gaav! Gaav damnit, wait up!"  
  
His heart lit up at the sound of that voice... it resonated in him like a tuning fork set to his soul. He gritted his teeth. It almost hurt, how much he'd miss that sound if it was gone. It increased the antsy feeling in his gut.  
  
But he stopped.  
  
"Gaav..." she started, somewhat out of breath. When her boyfriend strode somewhere purposefully, he friggin' MOVED. She'd had to run to keep up with him, though it hadn't been overly hard to figure out what direction he was traveling in. There were a bunch of broken branches back the way they'd come.  
  
"Gaav, what's wrong?" She asked, feeling suddenly awkward. What if it was something about her?  
  
"Nothing, Mina... go back to sleep." He muttered, not turning.  
  
"Gaav, if you think I'm going to just leave it at that..."  
  
He turned and shook his head. "It's nothing, really. I'm just... restless."  
  
She stepped closer. "Is it something you care to talk about?" She asked softly.  
  
"No. I don't particularly want to fight about something right now." He muttered, annoyed at her pressuring.  
  
"Oh really?!" She snapped. "What makes you think every time something is bothering you it's going to lead to a fight between us?!" She stared up at him in indignation.  
  
He blinked, then stared down at her, slightly amused despite himself. He crossed his arms and raised one bushy eyebrow.  
  
She calmed down and shook her head, grinning up at him. "Ok, I guess I walked into that one."  
  
Her grin disappeared and she took his hand. She remembered what Pix had said. It was time to set immaturity aside.   
  
"Seriously though. I know... that this is awkward for you, Gaav. I want to be there for you... I-I... I mean I AM here for you."  
  
"Do you really?" He mused, half to himself.  
  
She blinked. "Really what?"  
  
"Know what it's like?" He rumbled, almost to himself, then crouched down a bit so he was more or less level with her.   
  
"Mina... do you understand what I am? What I really am?" He stared at her intently, uncharacteristically serious, solemn and even a bit... gentle. It worried her.  
  
She fidgeted a little. "Sort of... I mean, I know you're a mazoku and all..."  
  
He shook his head. "Let me explain something to you. Mazoku don't breed like people do. We don't really breed at all. Mazoku... every Mazoku that has ever existed, is just a part of another Mazoku, created to serve."  
  
He cocked his head a little, watching her reaction as he spoke. "When Shabranigdo created me, it was for one purpose. Destruction. I was created to kill the Water Dragon King. To kill all of the Dragon Kings." He sighed and looked down, remembering. "I wasn't created to subvert, or track down and infiltrate like Xellas... nor was I intended to be used as an example of what true terror like that little Hellmonkey. I was created to destroy."  
  
He paused for a moment, then continued. "I was good at it, too. Of course I was. I killed the Water Dragon King... I fulfilled my purpose."  
  
He stopped and frowned at her.  
  
"Do you remember that shape behind me the day that Zelgadis hypnotized me?"  
  
She nodded slowly, as though hypnotized herself.  
  
"That was my true form... my form from before..." he smiled, and perhaps that was a hint of bitterness in it. "What better form can doom take then that of the very object it is meant to destroy. I am the Demon Dragon King, after all."  
  
His gaze found hers and held it. She thought she could see... fires burning behind his eyes. It was frightening, and yet strangely compelling as well. "I wasn't really... aware, back then. Not really. Rage doesn't need intelligence to destroy, it just needs to be set loose. Oh I wasn't stupid, I couldn't be stupid and take down a Dragon King... but I was very... singleminded. Destruction was the only thing that mattered to me."  
  
"Then Cepheid blindsided me... trapped me in that ridiculous net of fluff that constitutes a human soul. I laughed it off and continued to fight alongside Shabranigdo, even managed to injure him, but the human soul bound me... made me too weak. I'd have probably been destroyed if he hadn't been mortally injured."  
  
"Then I started to change I guess. I needed more. I didn't know what that was... just that I wanted it. The other mazoku saw the changes and tried to destroy me... called me a traitor..." He smiled.  
  
"You know what? I was. After a while, I didn't give a damn about destruction, or the destiny of the Mazoku race. Shabranigdo was gone... and there was no one in control. All the other Dark Lords went off to do their own things... focused so heavily on their respective aspects that they stagnated... grew arrogant... so that even a damn mortal could destroy them. They tried to kill me, I fought to survive. Survival isn't so different from conflict... it is a form of conflict, really. So I fought... for centuries I fought... and still, in ALL that madness, there was that... yearning... that need for something more. Got so bad I tried everything... conquest... philosophy... anything to understand it."  
  
"And then I died."  
  
She frowned, staring at him.  
  
"But I didn't really. That damn bit of fluff kept me around... I was still fighting to survive... the battlefield just changed is all." He sighed and looked away. "Now here I am, fighting just to be what I once was... and none of it matters. I've FOUND what I was looking for. You know what it took? It took not thinking about it. Not TRYING to find it. Just surrendering to that... web. That soul."  
  
He sighed. "Do you know how impossible it is for me to surrender to anything? It goes against everything I was created for. Now that this thing is... in me... this thing... that is YOU." He stared at her, suddenly stricken. "I feel desperate. Trapped, with my back to the wall, FIGHTING for something I want more than survival... but the harder I fight for it, the more it feels like it's going to slip through my fingers and I just..."  
  
She took his huge, leonine head in both of her ands and shook her head. "Gaav... I don't pretend to understand what this is like for you, but don't think just because I started out with that "bit of fluff" as you call it that I'm any better off then you are. I don't understand all of this either. Mom... wasn't exactly the best role-model for how to express yourself... Dad... well, he understands, but he just doesn't have the words."  
  
"What I do know is that you don't have to fight for me. For what it's worth, I'm HERE... she tapped his chest. "And you... are HERE." she tapped her own.   
  
"Fight to keep me?" She grinned softly. "Buddy, you're gonna have to fight to keep me away."  
  
"I don't lose." She smiled.  
  
He was silent for a long time, then that arrogant grin returned. "You lost to me."   
  
She raised an eyebrow. "Did I... really?" She asked archly.  
  
He blinked.  
  
He didn't have an answer for that.  
  
*** 


End file.
